


A photograph of Black and White

by Onyz



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Monochrome, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 95,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7468863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onyz/pseuds/Onyz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Schnee heiress and an ex-White Fang member. They both have a lot to learn from and about each other, and thanks to the hobby of a rabbit Faunus, they will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The hobby

Beacon academy‘s workshop, a place all students could use anytime they needed to maintain, repair or upgrade their weapons. The smell of steel and gunpowder was filling the air, but the usual clanking of metal against metal was absent. After the incident caused by team RWBY’s first mission, the faculty decided to cancel classes for a week so that students could go home, spend time with their families and reassure them that they were alright. Since a one week break was planned after the first year’s first mission, the news was very well received by the students. The teachers were also busy helping with the repairs and cleaning of the streets, especially Ms. Goodwitch whose powers were invaluable for this situation. Team RWBY, JNPR and CFVY were asked to stay at Beacon for debriefing due to the part they played in the battle.

Not that the girls of team RWBY would have gone home anyway. Weiss would have to endure the disapproval of her father over her choice to go to Beacon instead of Atlas, Blake did not have a home to go back and the sisters did not want to leave their teammates, especially since their father was on a mission.

For that reason, the members of team RWBY and CFVY were the only ones present in the workshop. Ruby and Coco were at one of the workstation, Coco cleaning weapon parts and Ruby observing her with adoration in her eyes. Blake and Velvet moved away from the rest of the group to talk without be overheard and Weiss, Yang, Fox and Yatsuhashi were all sitting on a bench near their leaders. Fox was on Yang’s left and Weiss was seated between Yang and Yatsuhashi. The heiress was in a bad mood and was venting to Yang.

“Remind me, why are we in this smelly, dirty place?” 

“Come on princess, you know we’re here because Ruby is a massive weapons nerd. Well, you have to admit that a handbag-Gatling gun is pretty awesome.”

“I guess. But why are we here?”

Weiss actually remembered quite clearly the conversation that lead them to this situation. After the attack on Vale, team RWBY and CFVY were on the same bullhead going back to Beacon.

* * *

“Guys, I think I’m going to need to work on my weapon soon, what about you?” Asked Coco to her teammates. They didn’t have the time to do it after coming back from their last mission and cleanup was way overdue. Hearing that, Ruby’s eyes gleamed with excitement and she started to bounce around on her seat.

“I guess a little cleaning and sharpening couldn’t hurt,” said Fox, while Yatsuhashi only nodded in approval.

“Okay, that’s—” Coco interrupted herself when she saw the leader of the other team looking like she was about to jump on her. “Is there a problem?”

“PleasecanIwatchyouworkonyourweaponpleasepleaseplease.” Ruby couldn’t help but stand up and start getting closer to Coco. 

“Stop that.” Weiss, knowing her leader, had caught her and was struggling to stop her from jumping on Coco.

“Don’t worry,” said Fox while smirking at his leader “Coco is used to younger girls crushing on her.”

“Shut up Fox,” said Coco, her face betraying her amusement while Ruby turn as red as her cloak and stopped moving. “I’m sorry, I didn’t really catch that,” she said, turning to the girl in red.

“I-I just wanted to know if you would be okay with me watching while you work on your weapon.” Ruby was trying, without much success, not to fidget too much.

“My sister’s a big weapon nerd,” said Yang, trying to explain to behavior of her sister.

“That explains the bouncing,” said Coco, smiling at Ruby “Yeah, sure. Give me your scroll number and I’ll message you when we go.”

“Thank you.” Ruby was really happy to be able to observe one of their upperclassman working on her weapon. The fact that the weapon was a handbag that transformed into a Gatling gun was only adding to her enjoyment.

* * *

A few days later, after the announcement that the classes would be cancelled, Ruby received a message from Coco saying that her and her team were going the workshop later that day.

Weiss saw Ruby’s expression go from excitement to worry after reading the message. “What’s the problem Ruby?”

“N-Nothing, no problem at all”

“Ruby, you are as good a liar as Yang is a calm and collected person—“

“I heard that.” Yang voice rose from her bed, as she was starting the long and tedious process of waking up.

“—so will you please stop doing that and tell me what’s wrong so that I can start helping you.”

“Ugh, fine. I received a message from Coco saying that she was going to the workshop today and I was nervous because I never spent time by myself with four older students. Happy?” Ruby’s tone was a little harsher than she intended, but she didn’t like sounding like she was a child afraid of strangers.

“I can come with you if you want.” Blake was coming out of the bathroom after showering, wearing only her panties, her wet hair clinging to her skin and a towel on her head, hiding her cat ears. Even with all her teammates knowing about her ears, she was always hiding them, usually with her bow. “I wanted to see Velvet anyway.” 

“Blake! You should cover yourself.” Weiss tried to sound upset, something made harder by the fact that she could not stop herself from looking at Blake’s naked body.

“We’re all girls, I don’t see the problem. And you don’t look like you hate it anyway.” Blake grinned at the heiress in a way that seemed to mimic her partner. Or at least trying, because seeing Weiss turn away from her thinking that she was reprimanding her made her feel like she’d gone a little far. “It’s okay Weiss, I don’t mind.” Blake smiled gently at her teammate when she glanced at her.

“Maybe we could all go with you.” Yang, finally awake, ignored her two teammates. “They seems nice and we might learn a thing or two hanging out with a second year team.”

“Okay, I’m in.” The idea of being able to learn from —some people might say spy on— a more experienced team seemed to have convinced Weiss to agree with Yang idea.

“Good idea. I’ll text Coco to make sure it’s okay.” Ruby then sent a message to the leader of team CFVY. 

Coco had no problem with letting the other members of team RWBY come, knowing that they got along well with Velvet and that they covered for her not being here to organize the dance.

And this was the reason Weiss was here. Ruby was with Coco, Blake with Velvet and Yang seemed liked she got along well with Fox. Weiss tried to talk with Yatsuhashi, but only received monosyllabic answers to her questions, and even all the time spent at high society’s parties speaking with vapid, superficial, self-absorbed little twit did not help her holding a conversation with him.

Weiss did not really enjoy the atmosphere of the workshop. The loud sounds, the strong smells and the bustling of students were all reasons for her to come here as little as possible, doing most of Myrtenaster maintenance in her room and asking Ruby to bring back what she might need, her teammate going to the workshop at least twice a week. Even with only team RWBY and team CFVY present, she would rather be in her room.

She decided to leave and as she started walking toward the exit, Blake called to her. “Weiss, could you come here please?”

Blake and Velvet were away from the rest of their teams so that they could not be overheard. Weiss wondered what the two Faunus—no, what her friend wanted.

“Hey Weiss.” Velvet was the one that talked first when Weiss was close enough so that they could talk without shouting. ”I’m sorry about Yatsuhashi, it’s not against you, he just doesn’t talk much.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m friend with Blake, I’m used to it.” Weiss smirked at her teammate, happy to be able to get back at her for earlier.

Blake glared at her for a second, then sighed. “I guess it’s not entirely uncalled for.” She was happy to hear that Weiss considered her a friend, which helped her take the teasing on stride.

“Was there something you wanted?” Weiss was curious as to why Blake called her and wondered if it had to do with the fact that the two girls did not want to be heard.

“Velvet had something she wanted to ask you.” Blake looked at the rabbit Faunus, silently encouraging her.

Velvet took a deep breath, working up the courage to say what she wanted to say. “My hobby is photography and I would like to ask if you’d like to accept to model for me.” She was clearly uncomfortable asking something like that to a girl she didn’t know that much, but held on and continued talking. “Of course you would have the right to ask me to delete the pictures if you don’t like them and—“

“Wait. I have a few questions I’d like to ask and maybe see some of your work before giving my answer. Is there someplace we could go to talk about that?” Weiss’ tone was professional, clearly used to this kind of things.

Velvet looked at Blake, who nodded. “We could go to my dorm, I’m just going to tell Coco and Ruby that we’re going.” Velvet departed in direction of the two leaders.

“So Velvet is into photography. I did not expect that.” Weiss wondered if Blake was going to come with them or if she would be alone with Velvet. She hoped she would be there, feeling a little awkward about being alone with Velvet in her room.

“She is pretty picky about her models you know. You’re lucky she asked you.”

“By the way, are you coming with us or…?”

“I’m coming. She is as comfortable about being alone with you than you are to be alone with her.” Even if she kept her usual neutral expression, Weiss could see amusement in Blake’s eyes. 

Velvet came back from her talk with the two leaders a smile on her face. “Let’s go.”

They made their way to team CFVY’s dorm in silence, Blake being Blake and the other two not thinking of any topics to discuss.

Team CFVY’s dorm was only a few corridors away from team RWBY’s, and the room was more or less the same, save for the beds—it seemed that team RWBY were the only one that thought that bunk beds held by rope were a good idea—and a door that Weiss was sure did not have an equivalent in her dorm, or in JNPR’s.

“What is this door?” asked Weiss.

“It’s a walk-in closet that Coco negotiated with Ozpin after a particularly hard mission. It was pretty much necessary given how many clothes she has. That girl could open a store by herself,” answered Velvet. “Take a seat.” She showed a bed to the two girls.

Blake and Weiss sat side by side on the bed while Velvet took a photo album on one of the desk and then sat in front of them.

“You said you wanted to see my work. Here.” Velvet gave the girls the album, which had ‘Coco – Safe’ written on it. “I’ll fill you in on the details while you look through it.”

Weiss and Blake opened the album and started to look at the photos. As the title implied, Coco was the only model. She was in different outfits—a lot of different outfits—and different poses in the photos.

Velvet started her explanation. “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. First thing first, I’d like to ask you to don’t tell people about that. I don’t want my hobby to be common knowledge, and only you two and my teammates know.” Weiss nodded. She knew how it felt to want to hide some parts of yourself. “Thanks. I’ll start about the modeling then. I only take the photos you are comfortable with, if there is an outfit or a pose that you don’t like, I don’t take the photo. If you don’t like the result, I erase it. These photos are mostly for myself, I only show them to other people if you’re okay with it.” Velvet paused to make sure Blake and Weiss understood. Mostly Weiss, Blake already knew about that.

Once she confirmed it was good, she continued. “I think that’s most of it. The studio is a few rooms from here. Do you have any questions?”

“Your photos are really nice.” Weiss closed the album, putting it on the bed besides her. “Would I have to bring my own outfits?”

“I think the best would be for me to see what you have and go from there. I can also lend you some of Coco’s clothes, but I think most won’t fit you since you’re…well…”

“You can say it, I’m small. I don’t mind.” Weiss smiled at her, assuring her it was not a problem. “What about Blake? Is she one of your models?”

Velvet looked at Blake, who answered. ”We talked about it but I’m not really confident about modeling alone.”

Velvet continued. “We thought she’d be more comfortable modeling with someone she knows well and we decided to ask you. I wasn’t sure at first since you’re, well, Weiss Schnee but Blake told me it would be okay.”

“Is there a problem with my family?” Weiss clenched her fist, not angry against Velvet but the fact that, whatever she did, her name was in the picture. She did not want her name to interfere with her life, not at Beacon, not with her friends.

“No no.” Velvet saw that Weiss did not like what she said and tried to correct the misunderstanding. “It’s just that you’re famous, you sing for charity, this kind of things, and I’m just a Faunus that like to have fun with her camera, I can’t pay you or something like that.”

“Velvet, I don’t care that you are a Faunus.” The two Faunus could see that Weiss was being serious, her tone admitting no discussion. “And I have more money than I know what to do with. It’s not going to be a problem.” Velvet nodded, surprised. Weiss sighed and relaxed a little. ”But you are right, my family could be a problem. It would be better if those photos stayed between us. But why me? You said you wanted someone to model with Blake. Why not Yang or Ruby?”

“Because you are you. The way you move, the way you hold yourself, there is something almost… regal about you, like a princess. And Blake said she would rather be with you.” Weiss blushed a little at the sudden compliments and turned to Blake.

“You wanted me?”

“Yes.” Blake did not intend to be so direct and tried to hide her blunder. “I-I mean, can you imagine Ruby or Yang having the patience to do this?”

“You do have a point.” Thinking about it, Weiss had to admit that it seemed almost impossible to have Ruby stay still for that long, except maybe by not giving her sugar for a week and knocking her out, and even that was not a guarantee, and that it would certainly not be thrilling enough for Yang’s taste. “Oh, I have one last question. Why is there a ‘safe’ on the title of the album?”

Velvet cursed herself for not thinking to hide that and blushed a little, not expecting this topic to come so soon. “It’s because all the photos I take are not that… wholesome. I-I also take more… risqué photos, from underwear to totally naked.” Seeing the two girls becoming red, she added quickly. ”Of course it’s only if you want, I won’t force you or anything.”

The room was filled with silence for several second. Velvet hoped that she did not scare the heiress away by telling her that. The first person to break the silence was Weiss. “I’m… actually a little interested. But I’d rather start with more… normal photos.”

“So you’re in?” Velvet’s excitement was palpable.

“Yes.” Weiss giggled seeing the older girl beaming like her birthday was coming early. “And you Blake?”

“I’m in.” Weiss felt relieved that she would not be alone. She didn’t have a problem with Velvet, but she didn’t know her that well and felt a little nervous.

“Maybe we could do a first photo shoot this week since we don’t have classes.” Velvet saw the two girls approve her idea. “You think we could go see what clothes you have so I can start to plan it?”

The younger girls agreed and they started to make their way to team RWBY’s dorm when Weiss saw a cheap digital camera in Velvet’s hand.

“Is that your camera?” Weiss was surprised that she could make photos of that quality with a camera like that.

“This one? No, I just use it to make quick reference shoot, so that I don’t have to bring my professional camera.”

The girls arrived at team RWBY’s dorm and Velvet started going through Weiss’ clothes and taking pictures.

“You have lots of nice clothes Weiss, I’m sure we’re going to make great photos with that.”

“Thanks, I haven’t really got the occasion to wear them lately.”

Velvet finish taking pictures of Weiss’ clothes and turned to the other Faunus. “Now Blake, your turn.”

“I don’t really have a lot to show.” Blake was a little embarrassed, she only had a few different outfits, nothing quite as extensive as Weiss.

“I see that. Don’t worry, I’ll find you something to wear. Worse come to worse, I’ll shoot you in your underwear.” Velvet smile made it clear that she would not have any problem doing that.

The mention of Blake’s underwear reminded Weiss of the moment she came out of the shower, her wet hair sticking to her glistening skin, the drops of water flowing on her white breasts—No, bad Weiss, not thinking of your teammates like that. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

“Hey Velvet, I don’t think I have your scroll number,” said Weiss trying to distract herself from her thoughts. The girls exchanged their numbers and Velvet took her leave, telling them that she’ll contact them soon.

Yang arrived with Zwei right after Velvet left.

“Hey! Velvet was here? I thought you guys went to her dorm.”

“We were, but we came here so I could show her my clothes. She’s got a good eye for putting outfits together and I wanted a few advices.” Weiss knew that letting Yang know about the real reason Velvet came and her hobby was not a good way to keep it a secret.

“Oh? Are you planning to go on a date with a guy?” Yang grinned at Weiss, feeling that the ice queen going on a date would be a sight to behold.

“Not really no, I just like to dress well.” Weiss stayed calm, being used to Yang’s attempt to embarrass her. “I’m more into girls anyway.”

“Wait, really?” Yang was genuinely surprised, but Weiss thought she could see a little joy on her teammate’s face. ”But… and Neptune?”

Weiss froze. They never really had the time to talk about the dance with the attack on the CCT tower, Zwei’s arrival and their first mission. She knew that there would be a time when she would have to talk about it. Even with team JNPR stealing the show, her friends would want to know how her date with Neptune went. She just hoped it would later rather than sooner. She wasn’t proud of what she had done and she had entertained the thought that her teammates would not question her on that.

“Do you have the time for the explanation? Or do you want the short version that make me look like a jerk?” They had the right to now. Even if it changed how they saw her, she had to tell them, but she could at least try and explain why she did it.

“Don’t worry, we already know you’re a jerk.” Yang smiled at the heiress who was not amused. “Just let me make a short call to Ruby.” Yang went out of the room with her scroll.  
“Are you… going to stay?” Weiss asked Blake, her voice wavering a little.

Blake nodded, feeling that Weiss wanted her to be there. “Is there a problem?”

“It’s just that I’m not really sure what you’ll think of me after that.” Weiss sat on her bed, looking at the floor. Blake sat next her, put her hand on the side of her head, pulled her toward her and started stroking her hair.

“Don’t worry, you’re not a bad person. I’m sure you’ve done nothing that—Weiss?” Blake felt Weiss tense up when she started caressing her hair. Blake removed her hand from her teammate, letting her go. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—“

“No, it’s not your fault. I’m not used to… demonstration of affection.” Weiss’ cheeks were a little red and she had a little smile on her face. “It’s not unpleasant.”

“Hey, if you need a hug, I’m here.” Blake knew Weiss had a rather cold childhood and wanted to be here for her if she needed, as her friend. “And I’m sure Ruby and Yang would not be opposed to the idea.”  
“Yes, but Ruby would not release me until she fell asleep and Yang would use the occasion to feel me up.” The two girls giggled as Yang came back into the room.

“Sorry it took so long. Ruby will be eating lunch with team CFVY, I guess her and Coco get along pretty well.” She sat on Blake’s bed in front of Weiss. She entered into big sister mode, her expression more serious than usual and having no intention to make fun of what Weiss would say. “So Weiss, what did you want to tell us?”

Weiss took a deep breath and started talking. ”I… was more or less always more into girls than boys. When there is a party with rich people, you can be sure the Schnee family is invited. In this kind of parties, the adults negotiate and talk business while the children stay by themselves and have fun. And by fun I mean Champagne, making out and… other things.” Weiss’ tone got harder for an instant, as if repressing her anger. “My sister stopped going to those events after she went to a few, so as the only daughter of the Schnee family present, I had a lot of attention. After all, I’m pretty, smart, an excellent singer and rich, in a word, prefect.” Yang and Blake looked at each other. Weiss could be arrogant, but this time, it sounded more like insults than praise. “The perfect trophy.” Weiss’ voice was full of hatred. She took a deep breath and continued talking having calmed a little. “Anyway, my father made it clear that I was not to play favorites, but I tended to respond a little more positively to girls than boys, which got back to my father. Honestly, I was afraid. It was at the time when the White Fang started their crusade against our company and my father had been in a sour mood for the better part of the week.”

Blake tensed a little at the mention of the White Fang but did not want to interrupt Weiss when she was opening herself to them, a welcome change from her usual façade.

“I begged my sister to come with me.” Weiss had a small smile at the memory. “Except that it went really well and Winter made fun of me for days. My father told me that I could love whoever I wanted, that he would have no problem if I brought a girl home, but that I had to let everyone think they had their chances. I stopped going to those parties a short time after, I liked my fencing lessons better. When I came to beacon, I realized that even if people from Vale are mostly okay with it, not everyone is from Vale and I thought that maybe being with a guy would be easier.” Weiss started to talk quickly, arriving at the part she was ashamed of. “Neptune was cute and I decided to try and see what I felt being with a guy. The dance was fun, but it was clear that boys don’t interest me that way. So yes, I used Neptune as an experiment to confirm that I am gay.” That last phrase contained a lot of anger and disgust directed at her actions.

Yang and Blake looked at each other, trying to determine who would speak first. Blake decided to let Yang start. “Weiss, I think you’re looking at it the wrong way. Experimenting with your sexuality, trying to find what you like, what you’re comfortable with, it’s all part of living.”

Weiss chuckled at Yang’s words. “That… sounds really corny, I hope you realize that.”

“Well it works with Ruby.” Yang sighed, trying to find a way to express her point of view to the heiress. “I just want to say that you should not feel guilty, it was just… a date that didn’t work out.” Yang felt frustrated to not be able to express exactly how she saw the situation, more used to deal with the innocent Ruby than the sarcastic Weiss.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I know what you mean.” Weiss felt a little bad laughing while Yang was trying to comfort her. “I really appreciate. Thank you Yang.”

Yang smiled at Weiss, a little surprised, not being used to Weiss being so honest and open about her feelings. “No problem. If you ever want to talk, I’m here.” She looked at Blake. “Anything to add to my magnificent speech?” Blake rolled her eyes at her when Yang realized something. “Wait, where is Zwei? Crap, he must have gotten out of the room when I called Ruby, I have to find him.” Yang left the room in a hurry, hoping her dog did not cause any trouble.

Blake turned toward the girl at her side. “I don’t have anything to add, I think Yang is right and you should not feel bad about that.” Weiss started giggling. “Are you laughing?” Blake was a little hurt that Weiss started laughing while she was trying to comfort her.

Weiss’ laugh disappeared immediately. “I’m so sorry, it’s just that, if you had told me a year ago that I would open myself like that, and to a Faunus, I would never had believed you. Yet here I am, able to say what I really feel, my friend having adorable cat ears.”

Blake blushed at the unexpected compliment. “Th-Thank you. I wouldn’t have believed it either.” They stayed silent a moment, thinking about a war they never wanted to be a part of. “I think the most surprising is that Weiss Schnee has a thing for Faunus attributes.” Blake saw Weiss blush and look away from her, surprised that her teasing was so effective. “Wait, you really have a thing for Faunus attributes?”

“It’s just—it’s so cute. Don’t worry, I know you’re not supposed to touch them without consent. Please don’t tell Yang, I’ll never hear the end of it.” Blake was impressed by the speed at which Weiss’ mood changed, going from embarrassed to reassuring to pleading.

“Be careful, given your family, it could get interpreted in bad ways.”

“I know.” Weiss looked sad for a second, then looked at Blake, her cheeks a little red. “Hey, can you… can you hug me?”

Blake took the heiress in her arms, murmuring in her ear. “Any specific reason?”

“I just… like it.” Feeling the warmth of another person, feeling that she was not alone was something the heiress had not experienced often. She wanted to enjoy that feeling, if only for a little while.

“Ruby is going to get jealous.” Blake giggled at the thought of her leader pouting every time Weiss refused her hugs.

“I don’t care, you’re more comfortable.” Weiss stayed in Blake’s arms, enjoying this time when she could relax and stop thinking, if only for a moment, about everything going on in her life.


	2. First talk

When Weiss felt that continuing to hug Blake would be too awkward, she broke off the hug and stood up. “Should we go eat? I think we’ll find Yang on the way.”

“We could get food and come back here to eat if you want.”

Weiss stopped, her hand on the door knob, and looked at her teammate. She liked the idea a lot. “Do you… Do you think we could talk about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I just talked a lot about myself and I realized I don’t know a lot about you. I don’t really want to see people right now, maybe we could talk while eating.”

Blake thought for a few moments, trying to determine if she would be alright opening up to Weiss. ”We… can try, but if I don’t want to answers something, you don’t push for an answer.”

“Of course.” Weiss shrugged, never having considered doing something like this. “Come on, let’s go get some food.”

The two girls made their way to the hall of the cafeteria. Beacon allowed the students to use trays to bring food and eat in their dorm as long as they did not make a mess.

When they arrived, they saw Ruby and Yang, with Zwei under the table, eating with the members of team CFVY. Weiss and Blake stopped by their table to tell them that they will be eating in the dorm. Ruby was going to continue working with Coco on her weapon and Yang was going to Vale with Fox, so they would have the dorm for themselves.

The two girls then went to get their food. Blake tried to hide the fact that she only had eyes for the fish dishes, pretending to look at everything that was available, but gave up when she saw a student go for them and moved quickly to get the one she wanted.

Weiss was used to Blake’s silliness after living with her for several months, but it didn’t stop her to have a small smile, finding her really cute when she failed to hide her love for fish.

After taking their food and bringing it back to their room, they decided to move Ruby’s desk so that they could eat face to face. Ruby didn’t use it, preferring to study in her bed, so it was used as a table by the members of team RWBY.

As they were setting up, Blake started to talk. “I have an idea, what if we took turn asking each other questions? That way we can learn more about each other.”

“Good idea. Who asks first?”

“You can go. You already told us a lot.” They started to eat, Weiss thinking about her first question.

“Did you… have a lover in the White Fang?”

“No.” Blake realized that the point of the exercise was to talk more about herself, so she continued. “There was someone I was really close to, but he started changing with the White Fang five years ago. Small things at first, but it got worse as time went by. He also became more and more… creepy the last year I was there. Calling me his love, watching me as I slept, this kinds of things. I was getting really uncomfortable around him.” Blake paused, having thought of something. “It might be why no one else ever tried to make a move on me now that I think about it.”

Weiss looked at her with concern in her eyes. “Wait, he never… did anything to you, right?” Weiss had heard rumors about how the weakest members of the White Fang were treated, and while Blake was far from weak, she could help but worry.

“No no, of course not.” Blake felt a little happy that Weiss was worried about her well-being. “Even with his position, he couldn’t have gotten away with it. The Fang did not see crime against Faunus in a good eye, even by another Faunus. Against humans however…” Blake expression grew somber as she remembered one of the reason she left.

“Wait, you mean that…” Weiss didn’t like the implications of what Blake just said.

“Please stop, I don’t want to remember that.”

Weiss saw that Blake was really disturbed. She had stopped eating and her hands were trembling slightly. Weiss knew that she shouldn’t continue on that subject, but, remembering some rumors about how the White Fang treated their prisoners, she had to ask. The idea of her friend doing things like that was something she had to refute immediately. “J-Just tell me, you didn’t… participate?”

“What? No!” Blake was offended that Weiss could think that she would do something like that, but her anger disappeared when she felt a cold hand on top of hers.

“Thank Dust.” Weiss was relieved that her teammate—no, her friend did not stoop that low. She held her hand until it stopped shaking and continued with a little smile on her face. “I’ll try to find a less depressing question next time. Now, it’s your turn.”

The two girls returned to their lunch, Blake thinking about her question.

“What is your relationship with your sister? Back in the White Fang, there were rumors that the Schnee family was really into the ‘pure blood’ thing and… encouraged incest and that your father encouraged you and your sister to… sleep together rather than with someone ‘unworthy’.” Blake saw Weiss’ eyes widened as she talked and added quickly. “I mean, I know that’s not true now.”

“And you didn’t before?” Weiss sighed. No point getting angry about that now. “Yes, I love my sister very much, she’s the reason I’m here at Beacon, but I never, ever saw her that way. I don’t know where those rumors come from, but my family never had anything to do with this ‘pure blood’ stupidity. I know of a few old family that only want their heir to be with a member of another old family, but my father never forced us to go that way and I’m sure he’d be as disturbed as anyone else knowing his daughters are… doing things like that together. I’m pretty sure that if I were to go out with someone of modest origin he would put it in a positive way to the public, something like ‘the Schnee family is so powerful that we don’t need to marry any of you and have the luxury to be with someone we love’.”

“Luxury? Really?” Blake laughed, the phrase sounding like it came from some of the worst romance novel she had read.

“Shut up, that’s really something some of those people say.” Weiss laughed as well as she couldn’t help but remember her own reaction the first time she heard the term. ”Apparently they think their familial pride is the most important thing in the world and that they don’t have the ‘luxury’ to fall in love, that they must marry someone that will reflect well on them.”

“Like you and your sister?”

“At the time, yes. Now? I don’t think so. Winter is in the army, and I will become a huntress.”

“Isn’t working to protect defenseless people noble?”

Weiss shook her head. “They consider that you should pay people to do that. For them, there is only two way to go, either you rule above others, or you look pretty while your partner does it.”

“Well, I feel a lot better about being poor now.” Blake couldn’t understand how someone could think like that and was glad that she did not grow up in that environment. “It’s your turn to ask a question.”

“I know you try to hide it, but I’ve seen seem several time with a book called ‘Ninjas of Love’.” Weiss smile grew while Blake’s face went red. “What is it about?”

 _So ‘less depressing’ mean ‘more embarrassing’ for her. I’ll remember that,_ Blake thought to herself before answering. “It’s the story of a princess who run away from home and is found by a ninja, who then decide to train her. It’s not really an original start, but the story gets a lot better as it goes on and the characters are very good and feel so real.” Blake’s enthusiasm was palpable in her voice when she talked about the book she liked so much, even as she didn’t mention some elements of the story that Weiss didn’t need to know.

Weiss still had a smile on her face, not plannig to let Blake get away so easily. “That sounds nice. The story must get really intense, I remember seeing you panting with one hand under your sheets while reading it.”

The catgirl’s eyes widened when she heard Weiss’ words. ”When did that happen? I always make sure that—oh you little…” Blake had read enough mystery books to understand what Weiss had done when she started to laugh while she talked. “You didn’t know.”

“No.” Weiss stopped laughing, but the grin on her face was closer to one of Yang’s expression. “But I do now. So it’s smut?”

Blake sighed, knowing that her friend would not let it go until she told the truth. “There are a few sex scene here and there but they’re well-written and what I told you earlier was true. The book is interesting even outside of those scenes.” Blake decided that it wasn’t fair if she was the only one to be embarrassed. ”You better not tell that to anyone, especially Yang, or everyone will know that the snow angel is not as pure as they think.”

Weiss kept a neutral expression, but her cheeks turned red. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“May I remember you, my dear Miss Schnee, that a Faunus sense of smell is better than a human’s and that I can smell what you did even if you air the room?”

Weiss was mortified by her friend’s words. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t know.”

Blake did not expect Weiss to react like that. Anger, yes, but an apology? “It’s normal to do it you know. At least you’re airing the room, unlike Yang.”

Weiss blushed even more than before, her ears and her face now the same color as Ruby’s cloak. “Can we please change the subject, I’m not comfortable talking about… that with someone else.”

“No problem, it’s my turn to ask a question anyway.” Before thinking about her question, Blake spoke in a soft voice. “Just so you know, I don’t have a problem talking about this subject if you need to talk with someone.” 

Weiss nodded at Blake’s words but kept her eyes on her empty plate. She looked at Blake’s plate and saw that she also had finished eating. “Do you want to go sit on a bed? Unless you have something to do and want to stop.”

“And leave while I’m the one that can ask a question?” Blake smirked at the heiress. “I don’t think so. But yes, let’s go.”

The two girls stood up, leaving their trays on the desk and went to their beds. Weiss lay on her bed leaving enough place for Blake to lie besides her.

“You’re okay with me in your bed?” Blake raised an eyebrow at the white haired girl. As Ruby had found the hard way, the heiress did not like having her belongings used by other peoples. While it was okay for her teammates to sit on her bed, any more than that and they’d have to face a very angry Weiss.

“I’m the one offering.” Weiss shrugged. “I thought it would be easier to talk like that.”

Blake lay on the bed next to Weiss, feeling her tense up a little when her shoulder touched hers. Blake looked at her teammate, a questioning look on her face.

“Sorry, I just didn’t think it would be this easy to have you in my bed.” Weiss grinned at Blake, making a joke to hide her embarrassment at her reaction and was happy to see Blake’s face becoming red.  
After being speechless for a few seconds, Blake finally got her voice back. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to do this kind of jokes.”

Weiss grin disappeared from her face. “Sorry, it’s just- I’m trying to be a little less… Sorry, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” 

“It’s not a problem for me don’t worry. I didn’t grow up in a very… sophisticated place anyway. But you better be careful around Ruby, I’m not sure Yang would like you to corrupt her.”

“Yes, I am totally the person who is the most likely to corrupt her.” Weiss responded, her usual sarcasm back, while looking at Blake’s bookshelf.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Blake’s kept her neutral expression through Weiss’ accusation. “So, I think I have my question. What’s your type of girl? What kind of girl would you like to be in a relationship with?”

Weiss thought for a few moments before answering. “I’d say someone rather calm and mature, someone who would be okay not doing anything fancy, just… being together, talking or something. Not that I don’t want to do anything with them, it’s just more of a ‘bonus’ for me. Someone who would like me for myself and not my name of course.” Weiss let out a little laugh. “That sounds like a bad novel, ‘just being together is okay’.”

“I don’t know, I like the idea.” Blake agreed that staying at home with the person she loved sounded rather nice. Thinking about what the white haired girl said, she realized something. “So Pyrrha is your ideal?”  
Weiss looked at her, surprised. “Now that you say it, I guess she does. She is really nice, smart and very pretty.” Weiss blushed a little saying the last part. “Except for the part where she only has eyes for Jaune and that I don’t think of her like that.” Weiss felt obligated to justify herself, not wanting Blake to get the wrong idea.

“Wait, Pyrrha has a crush on Jaune? Did she tell you something?” Blake was surprised by the information. They did spend a lot of time together, but they were in the same team and she was helping him train so it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“She didn’t tell me anything but pay attention to the way she look at him, how she smiles when they go or come back from training.”

Blake frowned. “You always observe us like that?” She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of her every move being analyzed like that.

Weiss felt a little bad seeing Blake’s disapproval. “It- It’s a habit I got from all the soirees I went to, having to stay on top of who likes who and everything. I’m trying to stop but it’s not that easy…”  
Blake decided to leave her the benefit of the doubt. “Fine, your turn then.”

The back and forth continued for some time, sleep slowly taking hold of the girls as they spoke, when they finally fell asleep without realizing it.


	3. Waking up

Weiss felt good. She had a nice nap, on a comfortable bed and she was warm. It was strange. Why was she warm while she was not under her sheets? She decided to open her eyes to solve this mystery. The first thing she saw was white. Breasts in a white shirt to be more precise. Weiss looked up, trying to determine the owner of those breasts. She saw white skin and black hair and decided that it was Blake, the other options being Ren, which would be extremely strange of him—especially since he did not have breast the last time she saw him—, or someone she didn’t know, which would require her to scream, hurt them, restrain them, hurt them some more and call her father to make them disappear forever.

Having determined who was with her in her bed, she tried to have a better grasp of the situation. Small movements of her body and her eyes gave her the answer. She was lying on her side, her face toward Blake, lying with her. Weiss being smaller than the other girl, she ended up having her head at the level of Blake’s chest who then put an arm around her and draw her closer. Even now, the heiress could feel that she would not let go so easily.

Blake opened her eyes, woken up by Weiss’ movements. “Hi honey, last night was amazing.” Her voice was low and sultry, her eyes filled with satisfaction.  
Weiss suddenly felt warm, a different warmth than the one she felt before, and couldn’t help but blush. “Wh-Wha-What?” Seeing a laugh creep up on Blake’s face, she was able to regain her composure. “Very funny Belladonna.”

Suddenly a voice arose from behind Blake. “So, have you guys finished flirting or should I get out of the room?”

Startled, Weiss stood up quickly, pushing Blake’s arm off of her. Blake who was turning to see behind her at the same time. The two actions combined were too much and Blake fell off the bed. “Ow!”

“Yang! What are you doing here?” Weiss yelled at the blonde, embarrassed to have been seen in this position.

“Well, it was still my room last time I checked. You should have messaged me if you wanted privacy.” Yang said in a suggestive voice, winking at Weiss.

“I’m okay if anyone care.” Blake was standing up, having proved that cat Faunus don’t always fall on their feet.

“I would hope Weiss do after putting you in her bed.” This was a golden opportunity for some teasing and Yang wasn’t going to let go.

Weiss blushed at the blonde words and started to get angry. “Yang! You… stupid… idiot!” Having just woken up, she was not at her best when it came to comebacks. She got up and took the trays her and Blake brought earlier. “I’m going to bring them back.” She hoped it would be enough for her to calm down. As she was leaving, she turned toward Blake and said in a voice she hoped calmer. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to push you.” She left after those words.

Yang was a little shocked by Weiss’ reaction. “Wow, what’s eating her? Not you I guess, or she would have been in a better mood.”

Blake glared at Yang, remembering her earlier conversation with Weiss. “Maybe she doesn’t like you making jokes about her sex life.”

“You think that’s the problem?” Blake nodded in answer to Yang’s question. “I was just trying to lighten the mood after scaring you like that.” Yang sighed, planning to apologize when Weiss came back. “What were you doing anyway?”

“We were talking and we fell asleep, nothing more.” Blake blushed a little thinking back on how tightly she held Weiss.

Yang looked like she was about to say something but the door opened at this moment. Someone from the cleaning staff had taken the trays from Weiss, sparring her a trip to the cafeteria. She made her way toward Yang. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lashed at you like that. You really surprised me and I reacted a little… excessively.” Weiss knew she had to apologize for the good of the team, even if she felt she wasn’t entirely at fault.

“I’m also sorry, I didn’t know this type of jokes upset you that much. I guess we’re even.” Yang flashed a big smile at the heiress, showing that she forgave her, and Weiss responded in kind, though her smile was not as wide.

Yang, still smiling and happy that the conflict was resolved quickly, took her scroll out and turned the screen toward the two girls after some manipulations. ”So, does one of you want a souvenir of this moment?” On her scroll was a picture of Blake and Weiss sleeping, Blake having one arm around Weiss.

Weiss looked at Yang, her face staying neutral but the air around felt like someone opened a window during a blizzard, cold and carrying the feeling that someone made a mistake. “Why did you take a picture of us?” Her voice was calm but carried the promise that Yang would better have a good explanation if she didn’t want to deal with a very angry Weiss.

Yang felt that something was wrong but did not understand why Weiss took it that badly. She decided, wisely, that cracking a joke would not be an appropriate response if she wanted to stay on good term with the heiress and answered honestly. “I just thought you were cute together and snapped a picture. If you have a problem being seen that close to Blake, I’ll delete it.” She tried to stay calm, but her hotheaded nature betrayed her and anger could be felt in her last sentence. As much as she did not want to alienate her teammate, she was not going to take it without reacting.

“Wha- Of course I don’t have a problem with Blake. I have a problem with you taking picture of me without my consent.” Weiss’ tone was starting to rise. Blake looked at the two girls, feeling that she should do something before it escalated too much. The problem being that she had no idea how to do that. What she knew is that she wouldn’t run away this time.

While Blake was thinking of a solution, Yang continued escalating the matter, her voice containing more and more anger. “And what’s the problem? I just took a picture of a cute moment between two of my friends.”

Hearing Yang call her a friend made Weiss stop for a moment, which was enough for Blake to finally intervene. “Stop it! Both of you!” The outcry from the usually calm Blake made the two girls stop screaming and turn toward the catgirl. “Now, sit on my bed.” Her tone admitted no discussion and the two girls obeyed, looking like two little girls about to get scolded.

Blake breathed deeply a few times to clear her mind. She was going to solve this problem, even if it had to take all night. “Let me get this straight. Yang, you only wanted to take a photo for fun, thinking we would be either happy or embarrassed. Am I right?” Yang nodded. “Good. And you Weiss, you don’t want people taking pictures of you without knowing. Is that it?”

Weiss now had her anger under control so her voice was calm. “Not exactly. The problem is that it was taken in our room.”

“Can you explain why so that we can understand?” Blake tried to keep her tone under control, not wanting to sound too forceful.

“When I lived with my family, my room was the only place where I could relax. There is always a risk that a paparazzi managed to get hired as a servant, so we had to be careful in our own house. We can’t be ourselves in our own home. My room was some sort of safe haven and having a picture taken while I’m in is… disturbing.” Weiss turned toward Yang. “I know I shouldn’t have reacted like that, it’s just that this kind of picture could get me in a lot of trouble and there is always a risk, even if you only intend to keep it for yourself.”

Yang sighed then smiled at Weiss. “How could I refuse something to a cute girl like you?” Weiss tried to send a disapproving glare at Yang but couldn’t help smile a little. Yang took her scroll and deleted the picture. “And done. A shame.” She put down her scroll and looked at Weiss. “What kind of trouble are we talking about anyway?”

Weiss started counting on her finger. “My father publicly rejecting me, Blake having an ‘accident’, you and Ruby being interrogated to be sure that nothing else is coming out, maybe even JNPR with you. And my sister would probably disappointed that I let a picture like that get out. Of course, it’s only a worst case scenario.”

Yang was a little pale. “You—You’re joking, right? It wouldn’t go that far?”

Blake was the one who answered her, having some experience with how the Schnee dealt with their problem. “Sadly she does not. Well known journalist looking too close to the Schnee’s business have been known to lose their notes, pictures, recordings, everything. In the best case. I’m not sure something like that happening to a few students would raise too many eyebrows.”

Weiss saw that Yang was starting to get very worried. “Don’t worry, I won’t let my father do anything to my teammate. And, well… a picture like that is not really a problem, I just… overreacted a little. But you really surprised me, you’re partially at fault.” Weiss crossed her arms, trying to look offended.

Yang laughed. “Surprised? I think you mean scared, you should have seen your reaction.”

Weiss was about to retort but Blake spoke faster. “If you’re not going to try and kill each other, I’m going to get some books at the library.” And with that she was gone. She was happy. For once, she managed to take care of a problem head-on instead of running away.

Weiss was the first to break the silence. “Just so you know, there is nothing between me and Blake, we were just talking and we fell asleep.”

Yang couldn’t help but giggle at the heiress’ words. “I know, Blake told me the exact same thing.” After thinking for a few seconds, she continued. “Hey, Weiss, is there anyone you’re interested in?”

Weiss decided that the blonde did not intend to make fun of her after the talk they had and stayed calm. “Why are you asking?” She was still a little wary, not sure where the blond was going.

“I just feel a little bad about pissing you off twice in less than an hour since it was pretty important stuff to you, not just you being your usual prissy self. I want to do something for you and you looked pretty happy when Blake hugged you, so I thought that maybe you’d like being with someone and since I’m more experienced than you I thought I might be able to help.” _And maybe it will help you get the stick out of your ass and be more comfortable around friends._

Weiss ignored Yang’s comment about her temper, instead thinking of the peoples she was the closest to. Was there someone she liked?

There was Ruby. They had become friend even if their first meeting didn’t go that well, with Ruby blowing up in her face. She trusted her as a leader, but as someone to go out with? Weiss couldn’t help but feel that Ruby’s lack of emotional maturity was something that would put too much stress on their relationship, and she couldn’t even imagine kissing her, let alone something more intimate.

What about Yang, her sister? The blonde had a lot more to her than meet the eye, she had to admit that. But seeing how different they were, Weiss couldn’t help but feel that they were not looking for the same things in a relationship. With that and their respective personalities being so different, Weiss was pretty sure it wouldn’t work.

Pyrrha? She was completely in love with Jaune, and as she said earlier, she did not feel really attracted to her.

Nora? No.

And there was Blake. The girl she just spent most of the day with and would have no problem doing it again. Clearly she felt something more toward her than any other girl she knew, but was it really attraction? Or was it just because there was finally someone she could talk to? Did it really matter? Maybe it was because of her cat ears? They were so cute. She clearly enjoyed her time with Blake, but was that enough for a relationship? She could imagine herself one hand behind Blake’s head, caressing her hair, the other on her back, their lips getting closer, the warmth of Blake’s breath on her face—

“Weiss, are you alright?” Yang interrupted her teammate’s train of thoughts, wondering why she had been silent for so long.

“Sorry, it’s just that… I’m not really sure… Can I have a little time to think? There… might be someone but I want to think about more.”

“Of course.” Yang smiled at the heiress. It was the first step. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I... No, it’s okay.” Weiss thought for a few seconds before speaking. “How do you know if two people can work as a couple?”

“I… don’t know.” Yang sighed. She did not like hard questions like that. “Sometimes it’s easy to tell, if you tell me that you’re interested in Nora, I’ll tell you that I don’t think it will work. But most of the time, it’s harder to tell. I’ve seen people that looked like they were made for each other break up after a week and complete opposites stay together for years. If you like someone, just go for it and see.”

“That’s… interesting. Thank you.”

After their discussion, Yang went back to playing with her scroll and Weiss lied down on her bed, thinking.


	4. A lesson about Faunus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After looking into it, it seems the T rating is more permissive than I thought. Thus, I decided to change the rating of this story to T. I’m not changing what I had planned, I just saw that it would be okay under a T rating.

The next morning, Weiss woke up to find a message on her scroll. It was from Velvet and contained a list of clothes to take with her as well as telling her to come to her dorm after lunch. _That was quick. She must have been really excited._

After reading the message, Weiss looked around the room, trying to see who was already up. Surprisingly, the sisters were still asleep so she wasn’t the last to wake up like usual. 

Blake was reading on her bed when she saw the heiress wake up. When she saw her looking at her, she showed her scroll and pointed to the bathroom. Weiss nodded and the two girls went to the bathroom to be able to talk without waking their teammates. And to avoid being overheard.

Weiss was the first to talk. “So, I guess you received Velvet’s message too.” Blake nodded. “What clothes did she ask you to bring?” Weiss showed the list on her scroll to Blake as she asked her.

“She… didn’t ask me to bring anything.” Blake was a little sad that none of her outfits caught Velvet’s eyes, even if it was to be expected. Leaving a terrorist organization didn’t do any good to her possessions, and her books had been a priority over her clothes.

Weiss saw that Blake would have liked to use her own clothing. She smiled and tried to cheer her up. “We’ll just have to go shopping one of this days. I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“That might be nice.” Blake had a little smile for the heiress. “By the way, why didn’t you say anything about leak risks to Velvet? Seeing how you got angry at Yang yesterday…”

Weiss blushed at memories. “I may or may not have been a little distracted by Coco’s photos. It’s not my fault if she looks really good.”

“Y-yeah.” Blake’s eyes wandered around the room, unable to look at her friend directly. She quickly changed the subject. “Do you have any idea what we are going to say to Ruby and Yang if they ask why we are leaving with half of your wardrobe?”

“I was more or less hoping that they wouldn’t be there,” said Weiss nervously, ”Ruby said that she was going back to the workshop so she won’t be there. That leaves Yang.”

Suddenly they heard a knock one the door. “Are you finished? I’d like to use the shower.” It was Yang, up unusually early for a day without classes.

Blake whispered to Weiss, speaking close enough that the other girl could feel her breath on her ear. “I guess we’ll have to think of something later.” Blake then turned opened the door, followed by Weiss. “You can go.”

Yang saw Blake come out of the bathroom followed by a blushing Weiss but decided against making a comment. She didn’t want a repeat of the day before, especially since she was in a hurry.

* * *

Afterward, the day went by without incident for team RWBY. Ruby went to the workshop, Yang went… somewhere, Weiss was studying and Blake was reading.

Ruby and Yang did not come back for lunch, so Blake and Weiss went by themselves. Not a lot of words were exchanged between the two girls while they ate. Both off them were fine not talking if they didn’t have anything to say.

When the time came, the two girls went to team CFVY’s dorm with all the clothes Velvet asked for.

When they knocked, they heard Velvet’s voice through the door. “Can you answer Fox? I’m a little busy here.”

The door opened, leaving place to a smiling Fox. “Hi. Come in, Velvet is fighting with Coco’s clothes, she’ll be here soon.”

The two girls entered the room and stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. The fact that neither of them ever spoke to Fox didn’t help.

“Take a seat,” said Fox, showing a bed, “so you two are Velvet’s new models?” Weiss looked at him, a little worried. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. And I don’t get to see the pictures, even as her teammate. It’s nice that she has other models than us though.” Fox was smiling, happy that his friend got to share her hobby with more people.

“You modeled for her?” asked Blake.

“A little. I stopped when we started dating.”

“You are dating?” Blake was surprised that Velvet never mentioned that.

“Were. It didn’t really work out but we stayed friend. I never modeled for her again, we both agreed that it would’ve been too awkward.”

“She doesn’t have people modeling outside of your team?” Weiss found strange that Velvet would have a hard time finding someone who would want to model for her.

“She is pretty picky when choosing who or what to take a picture off. And she doesn’t want to end up with someone racist.” When saying that, Fox’s eyes went to Weiss. Who didn’t like the implications. At all.

“Do you have a problem with me?” Weiss’ voice was cold, but her anger was clear. Fox held her stare for a few seconds, then closed his eyes and sighed.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just that your family doesn’t have the best reputation and it would hurt her pretty badly coming from someone she trust enough to tell about her hobby.”

“Fine, I can see your point. But for all your talk, you weren’t there when she was bullied a few months ago.”

“Bullied?” Fox had a puzzled expression, then laughed and turned toward Blake. “She never told you?”

“Told her what?” Velvet just came out from the closet, her arms charged with clothes.

“What we did at the start of the year with the first years.”

Velvet giggled softly “That? We were trying to find out if some first years were going to cause some troubles with the Faunus and then give a… friendly warning to the worst of them.” Blake frowned. She did not really like the idea of intimidating others to change the way they behave, it reminded her too much of why she left the White Fang, but she did not want to have an argument right now. Maybe when she and Velvet were alone would be a better time to bring it up. Velvet shrugged and continued talking. “It hurt to have some of them pull on my ears, but it was worth it since we managed to stop some of them to go after Faunus students.”

“Coco’s reward helped too, right?” said Fox, grinning at Velvet.

Velvet punched him playfully. She tried to sound offended but she did not manage to completely hide her laughter. “Fox, we have guests.” She turned toward the two younger girls. “Let’s go, it’s not far.”

The two girls stood up and Blake went to take some of the clothes from Velvet’s arms. Velvet nodded a silent thanks to Blake and led the group out of the room. Weiss stayed silent while the two Faunus girls talked with each other, something about books. They stopped a few rooms later, in front of a door that nothing differentiated from any other door. Velvet took her scroll out and used it to unlock the door. Once everyone was inside, she closed the door and the sound of the door locking automatically could be heard.

Velvet put Coco’s clothes on a table near the entrance, followed by Weiss who was happy to finally put down the clothes she was carrying next to a computer with a printer and a scanner plugged-in. She looked around the room while the two other girls continued their conversation.

It was a normal dorm room for Beacon, with the same white walls that she saw every day in her own room. The major differences were a white background and a few spotlights, reminding her of the professional photo studios she had seen, and the fact that the windows had been boarded so that no light could enter. She was going to compliment Velvet on her studio but heard the other two girls speak with passion a decided to listen to what they were saying.

“And the scene Tenzou and Mary? It was so good.” Weiss was pretty sure she never heard Blake be that enthusiastic.

“I know. It was so hot I thought I was going into heat.” 

At Velvet’s word, Weiss spoke aloud what she intended to keep silent. “Wait, Faunus go into heat?”

Hearing her words, Blake and Velvet stopped talking and looked at her, then Blake started approaching the heiress slowly, a sensual expression on her face. Once close enough, she put her arms around Weiss’ neck, her hips pressing against the body of the smaller girl. She looked into her eyes and talked with a voice charged with lust. “Why do you think we’re here for?”

Weiss froze, her eyes opened wide and her brain having shut down. She did not know how to react to what Blake was doing. A small part of her wanted to start making out right now, but being the smart and eloquent heiress of one of the biggest company in Remnant that she was, she settled with saying a few words. Being a seventeen-year-old girl with very little experience with displays of affection, the sounds she made were closer to someone choking than any identifiable languages.

Fortunately for her, Velvet hit Blake on the head and scolded her. “Blake, stop that. Don’t you think it would be better to explain it to her instead of making fun of her?”

Blake let go of Weiss and took a few step back. “Because explaining always work.” Her tone was bitterer than she intended. While she disapproved of the more radical ways the White Fang had fallen into, Blake did not have good memories of trying to make humans understand Faunus.

Velvet frowned at the words of her friend. “It’s better than trying to make them uncomfortable. And even if it’s not, Weiss is your friend, she’s not going to ignore you or antagonize you.”

Weiss, who would have preferred to stay silent, saw regret on Blake’s face and decided to speak. “It’s not that bad, Yang has done worse.” She thought for a second. “Actually, she has not. But that’s beside the point. What I mean is that it’s just a little teasing, it’s fine.” Weiss couldn’t believe she was saying that, but she did not like seeing Blake like that. _Yup, definitely attracted to her_ , she thought before continuing to talk. “It’s true that I don’t know a lot about Faunus and I would like if you could teach me.” _Like that I will get to spend more time with her and learn more about her and the Faunus. I’m so smart._

Blake, ignoring all of the self-congratulation going on in the heiress’ mind, was happy that she did not hold a grudge and was willing to learn more about the Faunus. She smiled at the small girl. “I’d be happy to teach you.”

Velvet, seeing that things were going well decided to leave the two girls alone and go prepare the set for the photo shoot. She saw how Weiss looked at Blake and started to guess that the heiress saw the catgirl as more than a friend. She wanted to give them space in the case she was right and thought that she would have to ask Weiss later. After all, who wouldn’t what to help their friend find love? Well, that and the opportunities to take some great pictures.

While Velvet was fantasizing about romance between girls under the pale light of the shattered moon, Blake was explaining to Weiss why Velvet talked about heat. “Faunus don’t actually go into heat, we work like humans on that point. It’s a more or less a joke between us. From what I’ve heard, it was originally used by racist assholes as a way to treat us like animals.” Weiss saw Blake getting angry and stroke her shoulder. Blake put her hand on Weiss’, the cold hand helping her calm down. Once her anger dissipated, Blake continued her explanation. “Anyway, at some point in time, Faunus started to use the term themselves as some sort of boast, something about being a beast in bed.”

“Is Yang a Faunus or are there really multiple people who are able to think of something like that?”

Blake chuckled. “I’m pretty sure she would not be able to hide it if she was one. And believe me, there are a lot of animal puns that get thrown around between Faunus. Back on topic, the meaning of the expression continued changing with time and now it’s used as a way to describe something sexy and does not really sound racist. That said, it’s more something we use between Faunus and it would be better if you avoided using it, especially since you’re… well…” Blake’s voice grew quieter as she did not want to insult her friend.

Weiss completed her sentence for her. “Since I’m a Schnee, right?” Blake nodded. “Don’t worry. As much as I don’t like it, I realize that not everyone is able to ignore my family name and that I will never be a friend to the Faunus.” Despite her attempt to hide it, Blake could see that Weiss was saddened by the situation.

“You’re mine at least.” She was right in saying that most Faunus would hate her just because of her name, Blake even made the mistake herself, but she wanted to try and cheer her up. “And Velvet told you about her hobby, so I don’t think she hate you.”

Weiss smiled a little at her friend’s words. “Thank you.” Having the girl she was starting to fall for say it was comforting. “What were you talking about with Velvet by the way?”

Blake blushed at Weiss’ question. “We were talking about the latest ‘Ninjas of Love’ book. We actually started to talk because she saw that I was reading it and came to talk with me about it.” Blake chuckled lightly at the memory.

Weiss blushed, remembering what Blake told her about the book, and gathered her courage to ask her a question. “Do you think you could lend me the first book? You got me a little interested.” Weiss paused a second, remembering what she knew about the book. “Interested in the story and the characters of course, not…” She as really hoping that Blake would not make fun of her for asking to read a book she knew had sex scenes in it.

Blake was actually really happy that Weiss showed interest in one of her favorite book series. “Really? Of course, no problem. I’ll give it to you when we come back. Just… make sure Ruby don’t get her hands on it, Yang would kill us.” Blake guessed that the heiress knew as well as her that not letting Yang know about the book in general was a good idea. She was a little apprehensive at the idea of lending it, but she liked the idea of having another friend that read it. That book was the first one she paid for, it had supported her multiple times when she was feeling down and helped her make friend with Velvet. There were other books she liked, some that might have been objectively better than this one, but her copy of the first volume of ‘Ninjas of love’ held a special place in her heart. She just hoped the heiress would like it and be willing to talk about it.

Once Velvet finished preparing everything, she called the two girls over. “Everything is ready on my side. Do you want to see what outfits I had in mind?”

They agreed and started moving toward the clothes, when Weiss remembered she had something to ask Velvet. “Velvet, I wanted to ask you, what do you do so that your pictures don’t end up were they shouldn’t be?”

The rabbit Faunus, realizing that a wrong answer would mean losing her model, took a deep breath before answering. “First, only Coco, I, and I guess Goodwitch and Ozpin, can unlock the door. The pictures go straight from my camera to my computer and don’t leave the room unless I print them for an album, which I won’t do without your permission. The ports on which the printer and scanner are plugged in are set to only work with those specific devices and the only other port still working is password protected.” At this point, Blake was completely lost. She only had occasional access to computers on the past and only started using them regularly when she arrived at Beacon. She looked over to Weiss, hoping that she would not be the only one to be lost, but the girl in white was following what Velvet was saying and checking against what she knew about avoiding leaks. “The computer is never connected to any network and does not in fact have the hardware necessary to do so, be it wireless or not. Of course, the computer itself is password protected, as well as the UEFI, and the data on the disk is encrypted. The disks I use for backup are also encrypted, each with a different key. Is that satisfactory?” Velvet, feeling a lot more confident about her security after putting it into words, allowed herself to send a friendly smirk toward the heiress.

“That’s… pretty good.” Weiss was impressed, she did not expect that there would be someone who knew that much about computers in a school for huntsmen.  
Blake was finally coming back to reality after her brain decided to go to a simpler place for a time. “You understood all that?” Not only was she impressed by Velvet’s speech, but the fact that Weiss was able to follow made her wonder if it was common knowledge.

“I only know what to look for, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Perks of growing up in my family.” Blake couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sorrow, colored with guilt, at the forced smile on her friend’s face. Weiss then turned to Velvet, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Did you do it by yourself? It’s very impressive for an amateur photographer.”

Velvet shook her head. ”I’m not that good with computers, Yatsuhashi did it for me.” She laughed at Weiss’ expression of surprise and answered her unasked question. “Yes, the Yatsuhashi on my team.”  
“I didn’t—I mean, I thought…” Weiss stumbled on her words, trying to justify her reaction without being insulting.

Velvet couldn’t help but laugh at Weiss. “Don’t worry, he gets that a lot.” Velvet stopped laughing, her expression becoming that of a cat that found a very interesting mouse. “You know, there’s a lot more to people than meet the eye. That’s why I like photography, because I can see both. I can have someone in fashionable clothes, taking the perfect pose to showcase how pretty the clothes are and how good they look on them, or I can immortalize the fleeting instant when someone stops pretending.” Velvet’s face was now only a few centimeters away from Weiss’. “That’s why I think you and Blake will be good subjects, you both hide so much and I want to see who you really are.”

Blake saw the heiress tense up at Velvet’s sudden outburst. She had seen Velvet act like this a few times and knew how unsettling it could be to see the usually meek rabbit Faunus start talking like that, and as fun as seeing the heiress react to that would be, she didn’t want her to change her mind about modeling for Velvet. She put her hands on the shoulders of the two girls, gently pushed them apart and placed herself between them. “I think that’s enough Velvet.” Her tone was calm but firm, trying to bring the Faunus back to her senses.

Velvet looked at Blake, slowly realizing what she had done. She started apologizing to Weiss, hoping that she was not put off by her reaction. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to start ranting and I hope it was not too creepy and—“.

Weiss put her hand in the air, hoping to stop Velvet from talking. “Velvet, stop. It’s okay I was just… a little surprised.” Weiss had a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. “You just said it yourself, there’s more to people than meet the eye.” Weiss having accepted Velvet’s apology, everyone in the room relaxed and Blake took her hands from the other girls’ shoulders. Velvet had heard from Blake about Weiss being angry and had no intention to experience it if she could avoid it. “But if you could… avoid getting that close to me so suddenly, I’d like it.” Seeing the look the two Faunus gave her, Weiss quickly continued talking. “It’s not against you or because you’re a Faunus or anything, it’s just that I’m not really comfortable with people being close to me, especially when it’s that sudden.” Ruby had almost got hit multiple times after hugging Weiss by surprise.

Velvet smiled when she remembered how Weiss acted with Blake earlier. “I’ll remember it. Shall we go see those outfits now?”

“Let’s go,” said Weiss at the same time her scroll started to ring. She took it out and looked at the caller’s name. “Or not. It’s Ruby.”

Weiss answered the call while putting space between her and the other girls to get some privacy. “Ruby, is there a problem?”

“What? No! I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend. So, are you free or…?”

“Sorry but I’m busy right now.”

“Oh.” Weiss could hear disappointment in Ruby’s voice even if she tried to hide it. “You think you’ll be finished soon? We might be able to do something before tonight.”

“I think I will be tied up all afternoon.”

“Okay.” Ruby didn’t even try to hide her disappointment anymore and Weiss could tell she really looked forward spending some time with her. “Try to not come back too late, Yang and I have something to tell you and Blake. Tell Blake if you see her. Bye.”

“Ruby, wait.” Not hearing the sound of a scroll hanging up, Weiss continued talking. ”We still have time before classes start again, we could go to Vale one of this days.”

“That’s… a good idea, we’ll have to do that.” Ruby’s voice was a little happier now. “See you later.”

Weiss went back to the other girls near the pile of clothes. As she walked, she saw that the two Faunus were wearing a big smile. “What’s happening? Why do you both have a stupid smile on your face?” asked Weiss.

“The ice queen is going out with her best friend, that’s so cute.” Blake was the one who answered her while Velvet was trying —and failing— to contain her laughter.

Weiss stared disapprovingly at Blake. Blake felt her stomach drop realizing what she said. “I’m not an ice queen.” The catgirl felt relieved that she didn’t notice. “By the way, how did you know what I said?”

Blake looked at Velvet’s rabbit ears before talking. “You wanted to know more about Faunus? Well, here’s fact number 1. Not only do we see in the dark and have a better sense of smell than humans, those of us that have ears as our attribute,” she pointed at herself and Velvet to illustrate her words, “also have a really good sense of hearing. We didn’t mean to eavesdrop but we heard you as well as if you were next to us.”

“My hearing is better than Blake’s and I could even hear what Ruby was saying. My advice is to go to another room and close the door if you don’t want to be overheard. Beacon’s soundproofing is surprisingly good.”

Weiss was listening carefully to what the two Faunus said. She genuinely wanted to learn more about them and was glad to learn from them directly rather than through books. She nodded, determined not to make the same embarrassing mistake. “It’s a good thing it was only Ruby.” She sighed, relieved that it hadn’t been a call from her family. “You must have heard a lot of things from people that don’t know about that.”

Blake’s expression grew somber. “Yeah, and it’s not that fun hearing people talk about you behind your back.”

Velvet winced at Blake’s words. “It’s not all bad, there are also times when it’s funny or cute or…” She turned toward Weiss, hopping to steer the conversation to a happier subject. “Did you know that you were quite popular among the student’s?”

Weiss’ expression matched that of the catgirl. “I suppose my name is doing its job. That and all the insults of course.”

Velvet sighed. Those two girls were way too prone to pessimism. She had to change the subject completely if she wanted to get anything done before the night. She went next to the pile of clothes and put together one of the outfits she had in mind after looking at Weiss’ clothes. She took a deep breath, hoping that there would not be any more drama for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you enjoyed this new chapter. If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. In any case, thank you for reading, have a nice day and until next time.


	5. Fear of change

Velvet looked at the two girls in the room with her. They both were lost in their thoughts, and she was determined to change that. “Let’s forget about all that for now. Weiss, what do you think of this outfit?” Velvet was holding her selection so that the other girls could see it.

Weiss looked at the outfit suggested by Velvet and nodded in approval. She took it from the photographer’s hand and went to the bathroom to change, her mood getting a little better. She liked to have her privacy, even if the other persons in the room were girls and her friends.

While the heiress was changing, Velvet turned to Blake. “So, do you want to see what I had in mind for you?”

“I’d rather see how things go with Weiss before. It’s still a little weird for me that you want me as a model and not for a mugshot.”

“No problem. I won’t force you if you’re not comfortable.” _Weiss will probably be sad though._ “I’m sure you’ll be a good model, you’re very pretty.”

“Wha-? I,er… I…t-thanks.” Blake was not used to compliment on her physique. The White Fang put ability above appearance and she was more used to hear about her fighting skills than her looks, but it made her happy to hear that from Velvet, who was always close to Coco. “Would you have a little time after all this? There is something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Sure.” Velvet wanted to ask her what it was about, but she was stopped by Weiss coming out of the bathroom after changing.

Instead of her usual ‘combat skirt’ —as she called it, ‘impractical fancy dress’ having been used by Yang— she was now wearing a pair of jeans, a white camisole and a blue open shirt over it. She had removed her boots and was going barefoot, as the shoes Velvet lent to her where too big for her. She moved closer to Velvet, walking a little strangely, not being used to wearing pants. “Is it how you imagined it? Sorry, the shoes didn’t fit.”

Velvet looked at her model from top to bottom, moving around her to see her from all angles. The jeans were just the right fit, not too tight but still emphasizing her legs, and her top gave the right combination of relaxed and well-dressed. She took the bottoms of the jeans and rolled them up just above Weiss’ ankle. “I think it’s even better like that. How do you feel in it?” Velvet didn’t like having her models being uncomfortable for the sake of fashion.

“I like it. A little more casual than what I usually wear, but it’s fun to change. I’m going to need a little time getting used to the jeans though.” Weiss started moving and stretching her legs a little to get used to the feeling.

Blake, realizing that she had been silently staring since she saw Weiss, tried to come up with something to say. “You look g-good… I mean, with those clothes… not that you don’t look good otherwise…” Her voice started low and went decrescendo to end in a whisper. Weiss didn’t hear her but the look Velvet gave her for half a second showed that it was not the case for her. 

Weiss and Velvet got into position and Weiss took different poses, trying to find the ones that worked best. Velvet had put a few common household furniture and Weiss was trying to look natural and relaxed, using chairs and couch to appear to be a young woman on her day off. Easier said than done, as the photo shoots she was used to were SDC-related and a lot more formal. 

At the same time, Blake stayed near the clothes, sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding her face. She sometimes glanced at her friends while lost in her thoughts. _That was completely ridiculous. What is wrong with me, I couldn’t even tell her that she was cute. Is it because of what she said yesterday? Am I… treating her differently because I learned she was into girls? Am I one of those people?_ She wanted to run, go somewhere where she wouldn’t have to face her friend after being such an idiot. But she remembered the promise she made to Weiss, the promise that she would not run but talk about her problems.

Weiss and Velvet were focusing on the shoots and did not notice Blake’s internal strife. Weiss was lying down on a bed, wearing a small pair of lensless glasses with a light blue rim she borrowed from Velvet and holding a book, pretending to read.

The click of a shutter filled the room and the sight of Weiss casually reading was saved inside Velvet’s camera.

Weiss was sitting on a couch, the weariness of a hard day of work on her face as she closed her eyes and thought about the possibility of taking a nap.  
The click of a camera, a photograph taken.

Weiss was sitting at a table, looking at pictures of a landscape while longing was showing on her face as she remembered the times that would never come back.

The noise of the camera, another picture saved.

More poses, more clicks, more photographs.

Weiss was lying on a two person bed, her hair untied and spread all around her, the white contrasting with the black of the sheets.

One last click, one last photo.

“That’s great Weiss, you’re really good at posing and acting.” Velvet was giving Weiss her honest opinion on her skills as a model. “A little more training and you could be a pro.”

“Thank you,” Weiss blushed, unused to getting compliments for getting a good job, her father considering that being perfect was the least she could do, “but I think I’ll continue being a huntress.”

“And here I thought I would be able to retire as your personal photograph.” Velvet sighed jokingly. “Do you want to see another outfit I had in mind? Or maybe you’d like something a little more… revealing?”

Weiss had to admit that she was interested in doing more sexy shots, but she felt that it would going too quickly to do them the first time.

“While I appreciate the offer, I think it’s a little early. I… would like to do a few shots with Blake if you don’t mind.”

Velvet smiled at the heiress. “Of course. Don’t hesitate to ask if you want to do anything. It’s not good if I’m the only one having fun.”

Weiss offered a small smile as thanks to Velvet and the two turned toward Blake, who had been unusually quiet, even for her. They quickly saw that she was not feeling well and Weiss got close to Velvet, whispering and hoping not to be heard by the cat Faunus. “Do you know what her problem is? She seemed fine earlier, I’m a little worried.”

Velvet shook her head and whispered back. “I don’t know. She said she wanted to talk to me when we were finished.”

“Maybe we should stop now? I like modeling for you, but Blake can be pretty self-destructive when she have something on her mind and I don’t want to see her like that again.”

“You’re right. I’ll do my best to help her. You can leave your clothes here if you want. I’ll try to have the pictures ready for the next time we do this.”

Weiss nodded, happy to not have to move the pile of clothes back to her dorm. She took her combat skirt, her boots and her bolero jacket and left the room so that Velvet could go take care of Blake.

The rabbit Faunus sat down next to catgirl, waiting for her to notice her presence. Blake was surprised to see that the two girls left when she looked at the set, and then noticed that one of them was right next to her.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Velvet’s tone was light and relaxed, trying to make Blake feel comfortable.

Blake stayed silent, trying to find her words. “What do you think of girls that like girls?”

Velvet was surprised, not expecting this kind of question. “Have you fallen for me kitty cat? Sorry, you’re not really my type.” She decided to go with a joke, hoping to make Blake laugh and lighten the mood.

“Velvet please, I’m serious.” And it was a failure. Hearing the distress in Blake’s voice, she decided to stop joking and answer Blake’s questions to the best of her abilities.

“Sorry. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Then again, I’m playing for both teams, it would be hypocrite to say I disapprove.”

Blake’s nodded. Her response did not really come as a surprise, but Blake had to be sure and she didn’t think of anything else to start the conversation. “Yesterday, we had a big talk at our dorm after you left, and I learned that Weiss was into girls.” Blake paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. “At the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I had never met someone who was homosexual before Beacon, but I didn’t have a problem with it. But when I said she was cute being friendly or I tried to tell her she was pretty when I saw her with the outfit you picked, I couldn’t help but think that maybe she would take it as me flirting with her.”

Velvet rested her head on Blake’s shoulder, trying to reassure her friend with her presence. “Would that be a bad thing?”

“I-I don’t know.” Velvet’s question was good, but Blake wanted to share everything she had on her mind before thinking about it. “And when I saw Coco’s album yesterday I thought that she was really pretty and I thought I was into guys and now I don’t know and…” Blake was getting more and more agitated.

Velvet put an arm around Blake’s shoulder, trying to calm her down. “It’s okay Blake, it’s okay. Let’s take it one thing at a time. First, you thought that Coco was pretty when you looked at the album, right?”

“Yes.”

“Thing is, that’s the point. The poses, the outfits, everything in those pictures is made so that people think that the model is pretty. It doesn’t mean that you’re into girls or anything. I heard that you’re pretty close to Sun, is it true?”

“We went to the dance together, it was really nice,” Blake blushed slightly, remembering all the time she spent with Sun, “but I don’t really see us going further. He is always ignoring the rules when he doesn’t like them. Humans already think badly of Faunus and he is not helping. He is still my friend, but I don’t think I could be with him.”

“What about Weiss? What do you think of her?”

“We’re… friends I guess. She can seem cold, but she is a nice person when you get to know her. If she hasn’t killed you before.” Blake smiled lightly, slowly getting better. “But yesterday she opened up to us, told us she more or less always liked girls, and I think I see her a little differently. I’m… feeling a little closer to her. She doesn’t have ears like me, but we’re both hiding who we are. With all that, I can’t help but think about how what I say to her could been seen as flirting.”

“But you have no problem talking to me. And you took her in your arms earlier and almost started making out right there.” 

“Because I didn’t think. I was just teasing her, going along with the flow. It’s different.”

“No, it’s not. You’re just having fun with your friend whether you’re complimenting her or teasing her. She is still the same person, the only thing that changed is how you see her.” There was a short silence before Velvet continued talking. “Does it bother you that much that you might like girls?”

Blake shook her head. “That… No, it’s not that, it’s that I realize that I’m changing. I never would have thought of going out with a girl a few months back, but now I find the idea… attractive. I think what made me uncomfortable was not Weiss, but that flirting with her is something I might be considering doing. I’m scared Velvet, what if I become someone else?” 

Velvet could see Blake’s distress as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. “Blake, changing is not a bad thing, it’s—“

“The last time I saw someone change, he became a monster who has no problem killing innocent people!” Blake raised her voice, almost screaming.

Velvet stayed calm and kept her voice at the same volume. “Blake, calm down. Not every change is bad, look at your teammates. Look at Ruby, who is doing her best to be a good leader. Look at Weiss, who wants to learn about Faunus. I’m sure they’ll be there for you if you ever start going down the wrong path.”

Blake calmed down, her friend’s voice soothing her. “You’re right. I’m going to go, I… have a lot to think about. Thank you.”

The two girls stood up and started to get ready to leave. “Anytime.” 

Velvet was putting away her camera when Blake realized something about what she said to her. “Wait, how do you know how Ruby was at the start of the year?”

Velvet froze, as that was not something she had planned to ever tell her friend. ”Well… because team RWBY was one of the teams we kept an eye on at the start of the year. With the Schnee heiress on your team, we wanted to make sure that you wouldn’t go after Faunus students.”

Blake sighed. No use getting upset about it now. “I just hope you’re not spying on us anymore.” Velvet shook her head, reassuring her friend. “I have to go. Sorry we had to cut it short because of me.”

Blake said goodbye to her friend and went back to her dorm. She had a lot to think about, about herself and about her discussion with Velvet. Talking helped her a lot, way more than running away usually did. One thing she wanted to do as quickly as possible was to apologize to Weiss for forcing her to stop early and talk with her. Maybe she could help her like Velvet did. Blake stopped for a second. Since when did she rely on Weiss rather than Yang for this type of things? Thinking about it, she realized that Yang experience with dating made her a feel a little awkward and she felt more comfortable knowing that Weiss had as much experience as her, that is to say not at all.

Blake decided to talk to Weiss as soon as possible, which would have been when she came back to the dorm, had she not found Weiss, standing in the middle of the room, Ruby and Yang moving around her like predators around a prey. Weiss did not change before arriving to the dorm, except for putting her boots back. Better look slightly weird than to hurt her feet. She hadn’t thought Ruby and Yang would be there, but Yang knew how to appreciate a well-dressed pretty girl, and Ruby was a fast learner. It was not often than Weiss wore something that emphasized her figure like fitting jeans did, and a fighting style based on mobility left her with very nice legs to look at and a butt that espoused the jeans perfectly. She made a very nice sight dressed like this, and it had not escaped anyone in the room.

When she noticed Blake had entered the room, Weiss turned to her, her eyes pleading for help. “Blake, our teammates have gone mad, do not be fooled by their appearance and help me eliminate them.”

Yang was the first one to talk, Ruby being too busy looking at Weiss. “You look great, of course we’re looking at you. So, what would you say of going on a date with me?” Silence followed the blonde’s words as three pairs of eyes were fixed on her.

“You shouldn’t joke about that Yang, that’s not nice.”

“I’m not joking Ruby. If our queen agrees, I’d totally go on a date with her. Look at her, she is stunning like that.”

Weiss blushed at Yang’s compliment. “Th-That’s flattering but I have to refuse, I just don’t—“

Yang interrupted her. “It’s okay, you don’t have to justify yourself. Just remember, I’m here if you change your mind.” Yang winked at the heiress, who tried and failed to stop herself from blushing. Being the center of attention was not unusual for her, but most people were not as open as Yang about their feelings. She wouldn’t admit it, but she found her honesty refreshing. ”Now that you’re both here, Ruby and I have something to tell you.”

The two sisters sat on Blake’s bed and Blake and Weiss sat on Weiss’. Yang expression was neutral, but Ruby was clearly not happy with what they were going to say. All the excitement from seeing Weiss had vanished and she was keeping her head down, her usual smile replaced with a frown. Zwei came and jumped on Ruby’s lap, Blake tensing up when she saw the dog being so close to her bed.

After a moment of silence, Yang finally spoke, deciding to go straight to the point. “You remember how we said we would stay here during the break because there was nobody home? Our dad called us and he finished his mission early, so he’s back home. I know we said we didn’t want to leave if you stayed but…” Yang stopped talking not knowing how to finish her sentence. She had no idea what Blake and Weiss were thinking, the two girls being good at keeping a neutral expression. Ruby, who had stayed silent until now muttered a small “Sorry” when her sister stopped talking.

Weiss looked at Blake, amber eyes confirming that her thought on the subject were the same as hers. She turned away from Blake and spoke for the both of them. “That’s great.” Yang and Ruby looked at her, surprised, and even Blake had a doubt that she managed to communicate her thoughts correctly to the heiress, deciding that talking via eye contact was a bad idea. “Not that you’re leaving,” corrected Weiss, “but that you get to spend time with your father.” A shadow passed on Weiss’ face as she thought of her own father. “Don’t feel bad for us.”

“Are you sure? Won’t you get lonely?”

Weiss smiled, touched by her team leader’s concern. “I will finally be able to have some peace and quiet, I’m looking forward to it.”

Now reassured, the sisters were back to their usual self. “See Ruby? They will be fine. Blake will stay in the dorm reading all day long and Weiss will not have anyone to piss her off. We just have to hope they won’t kill each other.”

The girl with the red cloak stood up and looked with authority at her two teammates. “As your team leader, I hereby forbid you to kill each other.”

“Can I kill myself if she gets too bitchy?” ask Blake jokingly, ignoring Weiss’ glare on her.

“No. No one kill anyone. You must keep on getting along when we’re not here.”

“Don’t worry Ruby, we’ll be fine. Just go spend some time with your family and we’ll have our trip to Vale when you come back.”

Ruby smile grew even bigger when she heard that Weiss did not forget. “Great.”

“We better start packing now, we leave tomorrow morning. I don’t want you running around like last time because you forgot something.”

Ruby stuck her tongue at her sister and went to get her suitcase and start packing. Blake wanted to talk to Weiss, but decided to wait until the next day, when they would be alone and have all the time they wanted. Instead she picked up the book she was currently reading and went to the library, knowing the dorm would be full of noise for a while. Weiss went to talk to Yang who was packing her clothes. “Yang, do you have a moment? I know you have to pack, but it will be quick. It’s about what we talked about yesterday.” 

Yang stopped what she was doing, deciding than helping a friend, especially Weiss, with a relationship would be a lot more interesting than making sure she had enough shirts for the time she would be away. 

The two girls went into the bathroom, not wanting Ruby to overhear them. “So, who’s the lucky one?” Yang lost no time interrogating Weiss once she closed the door.

Weiss took a deep breath to buy herself some time. She knew what she wanted to say, but actually saying it would make it a lot more real, and she hoped she was not making a mistake. “Remember when I said I had someone I was maybe interested in?” Yang nodded. She realized it was not something easy to say for Weiss, so she didn’t stop her attempts to stall for time. ”I thought about it, and I don’t know if it’s l-love or something else, but I want to be with her.” Yang said nothing, waiting for Weiss to give her a name so she could start helping her. “That person is Blake.” As she said that, she saw what looked like disappointment for a fraction of second on Yang’s face before it disappeared. “Is there a problem?” Weiss hoped she did not make the situation more complicated by telling Yang.

Yang smiled at her, reassuring her. “It’s nothing, I was just a little surprised. Guess you got pretty close yesterday.”

Weiss blushed a little at having been so obvious and started in small voice. “Y-Yeah…” She cleared her throat and continued at a normal level. “So, how do you think I should approach that?” Weiss’ usual assurance was absent and Yang was able to see that, despite being the heiress to one of the most powerful company in Remnant, the person in front of her was a young girl who had no experience with love and was nervous even talking about it.

Yang smiled and spoke softly, hoping to help Weiss calm herself. “First, be yourself. You two became friends instead of killing each other due to your backgrounds, you must have done something right. Other than that, I think you should try and find out if she is into girls, maybe ask Velvet if you find it easier, because if she is not, you’ll only hurt yourself going after her.” Yang had seen friends doing really stupid things for a love that would never be returned and, as annoying Weiss could be with her bossy attitude, she didn’t want her to end like that.

“If she is not into girls, I’ll make her.” Weiss’ smile was full of confidence, more in line with her usual expression.

“Weiss, that’s not—“

Weiss rolled her eyes and sighed. “I know that’s not how it work, it was a joke. Anyway, thank you, I really appreciate you doing that.”

“It’s natural to help a friend. You can call me if you want to talk more, I’ll find a way to stay away from Ruby.” Yang started to turn away, going back to packing, when she felt a small resistance when she tried to move toward the room. Weiss had caught the back of her jacket with two fingers, just enough to make her understand that she had another thing to ask. She started to turn around when she heard Weiss speak.

“Wait. Please don’t turn.” Yang stopped, ready to listen. “Do you… Do you think someone can love me?” For a moment, Yang thought that someone else was with them in the bathroom. The voice that just echoed in the room sounded so strange to her. Gone were the confidence, the sarcasm, the I’m-better-than-you attitude, the only thing that stayed was a broken little girl that never had anyone to tell her they loved her. Yang knew a lot of people. It was not the first she heard that voice, and she knew that there was nothing she could do to make it better. It would not stop her from trying.

Without turning, she took Weiss’ hand in hers and started caressing it. “Don’t ever say things like that again. And if you and Blake can’t be together, for any reason, then I’ll take you on the best date of your life.” She heard a small laugh and a “Thank you” coming from behind her and hoped she had done the best she could. She exited the bathroom and went back to packing.

Weiss stayed a little longer in the bathroom, taking some time to compose herself. Her face was a little red, embarrassed by her breakdown. She had planned to ask Yang for advice on getting closer to Blake, not something stupid like that. But she had to admit that Yang’s answer made her really happy, even if she would have preferred a little less teasing. She went back to the room where the two sisters were packing and Zwei was in the middle of the room, looking at his masters hoping for some attention. Seeing the sad little ball of fur, Weiss decided to take it upon herself to take care of him. She kneeled next to him and scratched between the ears. “How are you going wittle furry mutt?” Zwei barked happily. “Oh you’re happy, yes you’re happy. We’re going to be separated for a few days, I’m going to miss you so much. I hope the two dolts will take good care of you.”

“Is it me or does Weiss care more about Zwei than us?” Yang had stopped what she was doing and was looking at Weiss with a puzzled expression. She knew that the heiress liked the dog, but seeing her get all mushy over him always made her smile. _It’s going to be so cute if she is like that with her girlfriend._ “Don’t worry Weiss, I’ll make sure Ruby and my father take good care of him.”

“Hey.” Ruby stopped doing what could be vaguely described at folding her clothes. “We always take good care of him, you meanie face!” Ruby started to pout, indignant that doubt was cast on her capacities to take care of the ball of fur, having missed the joke as usual.

Weiss sighed and shook her head, a small smile on her face. “Ruby, please never change.” She stood up, taking the dog with her. ”I’ll take him for a walk so he doesn’t bother you.” She exited the room with Zwei behind her, leaving the sisters to their packing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you enjoyed this new chapter. If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. In any case, thank you for reading, have a nice day and until next time.


	6. Alone

On the morning of the next day, four girls and a dog were waiting for the time the airship bound to Patch would leave. The girl in white’s voice could be heard from afar. “Are you sure you want to go? You could stay here, I’m sure they’ll understand.”

Yang sighed at the unusual display of affection. “Weiss, we can’t let our dog when we’re not here, and I’m sure Blake will be happy to not have him around.”

“He has the best behavior of you three.” Yang rolled her eyes at the heiress words. “Anyway, I hope you’ll both have a great time with your dad.” Weiss shared one of her rare genuine smile with her friends, happy that at least some of them could spend time with their family without drama.

Blake shared a hug with the sisters, putting an end to it when Yang’s hand went a little too low for her liking, and Weiss waved them goodbye, not being the hugging type. Except that Ruby was and wanted to say goodbye to her best friend her way, so the younger girl jumped in Weiss’ arms, leaving her slightly annoyed and blushing.

Ruby ran back to her sister and the two girls boarded the airship as it closed its doors, preparing for departure. Blake and Weiss saw Ruby wave at them until she got out of sight.

“Finally some peace and quiet.” Weiss was the first one to speak on the way back to their dorm.

“You know you will miss them.”

“Of course, but not right now. And don’t tell me that you’re not happy that Zwei went away. Why do you dislike him so much by the way?”

Blake’s expression grew serious as she looked around, trying to see if anyone could hear them. “Not here,” she whispered. They got back to their room in silence. Weiss was hoping that she had not upset her friend and Blake was mentally preparing for what she knew was coming.

As they arrived in front of their door, Weiss looked on the opposite side of the corridor and realized that it had been a few days since she had seen –or heard, as was usually the case with Nora– any members of the team living there. “What happened to team JNPR? I haven’t seen them recently.”

“They went camping into forever fall. Why, are you missing Jaune’s attempt at wooing you?” Blake opened the door with her scroll and the two girls entered the room.

“Urgh, please. He tried serenading me. Where did he saw that anyone liked that? In a novel?” Weiss let herself fall on her bed, letting out a sigh of pleasure when she felt herself sink into her soft, beloved bed. They had to wake up early because the only airships to patch ran in the morning and in the evening and Ruby and Yang wanted to see their father as soon as possible. The heiress always had trouble falling asleep and usually slept later than her teammates, and as much as she would like to go back to bed, she knew it would only make things worse.

Blake shrugged. “I would like it. Speaking of novel…” Blake went to one of her bookshelf and took a book that she brought to Weiss. Before handing it to her, she had something to say. “I didn’t get to say it earlier, but I’m sorry for yesterday, that we had to cut the photo shoot short because of me.”

“It’s okay. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you. Do you want to know what it was?” Blake hoped that she wouldn’t as she wasn’t ready to talk about it with her, but felt she had to explain her behavior.

“Don’t force yourself.” Weiss had heard in her voice that she didn’t want to talk about it. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here, but if you don’t, you don’t have to.”

“Thanks. Here, I said I’d lend it to you. It’s the first volume of ‘Ninjas of love’.”

Weiss stretched an arm to take the book from Blake’s hands, but felt some resistance as she tried to move it. She turned her head and saw that the other girl didn’t want to let the book go. “Blake, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of it.”

Blake reluctantly let the book go, never removing her eyes from it as Weiss looked at the cover and put it next to her pillow. “I know, just… please promise me you’ll be careful.” She sounded more desperate than she would have liked, but this book was very important to her.

“Of course, I promise.” Weiss sighed internally. _What is it with that girl? It’s just a book. But I have to admit that she is pretty cute when she is like that._ “So, about you and Zwei?” Weiss was determined to find out what her friend had against the cuddly ball of fur. “Is it because you are part cat?” Weiss realized as she said it that it was maybe not the best way to put it.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Blake started screaming at her. “I’m not an animal!” Even knowing it was coming, Weiss couldn’t help but be surprised by how vehement Blake’s reaction had been.  
“I-I’m sorry Blake, that’s not what I meant.”

Blake sat down next to Weiss, her head in her hands. “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just… It hurts a lot hearing that, especially from you.”

Weiss, hearing the tears in Blake’s voice, sat on her bed and awkwardly put an arm around Blake. “You really do make me think of a cat, and I mean that as a compliment. You’re usually very calm but when you get going, you’re graceful and silent.” _Also you like tuna a lot, can’t help but go after laser pointers and I’m almost certain you’re stopping yourself from hissing when you’re scared._ “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I’d really like you to teach me about Faunus so something like that doesn’t happen again.”

Blake touched the cold hand on her shoulder. She was getting used to the heiress’ low body temperature and thought that, once she would be able to stop thinking that Weiss was sick, she would get to find it reassuring. She had a little smile when she answered. “I did say I would teach you.”

Blake stood up and started walking around the room. She wanted to give the impression she was thinking, while in reality she was trying to put a little space between her and the heiress, still confused about her feelings. “The thing with Zwei is—“

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. The two girls looked at each other, wondering who it could be. Blake opened the door, revealing a girl they both spent a lot of time with recently.

Velvet was there, a smile on her face. “Hi. I hope I’m not waking anyone up?” Weiss found that she had a lot of energy in her voice for someone up so early. Maybe too much. Closer inspection revealed that her eyes were red and puffy, that her clothes had been thrown on hastily and that her hair had barely been taken care of after waking up. She came to the conclusion that Velvet had been crying and had left her room without taking the time to prepare for the day.

As Blake let her in and closed the door behind her, Weiss left her bed and went to see the older girl. “Are you okay?”

Velvet chuckled lightly, trying to appease the worries of the heiress. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Can I just borrow your bathroom for a few moments?” Weiss nodded and Velvet went to freshen up, closing the door behind her.

Waiting for Velvet to finish, Weiss and Blake were whispering to each other, trying to talk without being heard. “What happened to her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe something with her team. Or… something with CRDL?” Blake clenched her fists at the idea that team CRDL could have done something to her friend.

“I don’t think so. Seeing how Fox reacted to my name, I don’t think he’d let something like that pass. Since she came to our room, I’d say it’s something with her team.”

Before they could speculate further, Velvet came out of the bathroom, her face a little wet but looking better. “Thank you guys. Do you think I could stay a little longer?” Velvet looked embarrassed, not wanting to bother them.

Blake was the one answering her. “Of course, you can stay as long as you like. Ruby and Yang went to see their father so we even have free beds if you want to stay the night.”

Velvet nodded, thankful. She saw that Weiss wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to do it. “Is there a problem? I can leave if I bother you.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Weiss’ answer was a little snappier than she intended, but leaving someone alone when they were like that hit a little too close to home for her. “I just wondered what happened. If you want to talk about it of course.”

Velvet thought for a moment about how much she wanted to tell while the three girls sat on Blake’s bed, making themselves comfortable. “No matter how cool other people find Coco, I can tell you that she is not like that all the time, and we sometimes have… disagreements on certain things about living together. Long story short, we had an argument this morning, I wanted to get some space, thought ‘Hey, I should visit my favorites first year’ and here I am.” Velvet was talking quicker than usual, eager to change the subject but understanding the curiosity.

Blake was looking concerned. “Was it a big argument? I mean you were…” She trailed off, thinking that Velvet might not want to go into more details.

“Crying?” Velvet had a small smile, trying to show the younger girls that she was all right. “It’s a little embarrassing to say, but I cry very easily after things like that. Yatsu almost threw Coco through the window because of that.” Velvet had a small chuckle at the memory. “It was only a few days after our team was formed. Coco, Fox and I were in our room while Yatsu was still in the cafeteria. Coco and I started arguing, I don’t remember about what. I left the room and was crying in the corridor when Yatsuhashi found me. When I told him it had to do with Coco, he assumed she hit me or said something about me being a Faunus. Yatsu has always been very protective of me, so he ran to the dorm, grabbed Coco and tried to throw her and her things through the window. It took me and Fox to convince him that it wasn’t her fault I cried.”

“I didn’t know things could go that badly between teammates.”

Blake looked at her teammate, her expression tinted with annoyance. “Really Weiss? You had no idea someone could butt heads with their teammates and make things difficult for everyone?”

“Like you were any better—“

“Anyway,” Velvet interrupted Weiss, not letting her escalate the matter, “That incident actually helped us break the ice and we now get along very well.” Velvet smiled at her friends, not intending to let them continue taking jabs at each other. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to talk so much. What were you talking about before I came in?”

“We were about to talk about Faunus since Weiss want to know more about us. Maybe you could help?”

“With pleasure.” Velvet was happy to have something to take her mind of Coco, and maybe she would have an opportunity to help Blake and Weiss get closer. She would not admit it, but she enjoyed playing matchmaker. Surely the fact that that most of the people she tried to help get together were now on bad terms was just bad luck.

Weiss nodded to Velvet, happy to have someone else willing to teach her, and turned toward Blake. “So, You and Zwei?”

Blake sighed at the Heiress’ insistence. “Fine. I’m not a fan of dogs because they usually don’t like me. Faunus smells a little like the animals we have attributes of, so real animals tends to treat us as if we really were them and I’ve had very bad experiences with dogs.” Blake clenched her fists at the thought. She knew it was not out of malice, but she had been treated like an animal too many times for it not to hurt.  
Weiss frowned. “I never noticed anything like that.”

Blake shook her head. ”It’s very faint, only animals smell it in most case. That’s why the great majority of Faunus will use perfume, it’s enough to hide it.”

“Then Zwei shouldn’t have any problem with you, right?”

Blake hung her head. It was not something she wanted to talk about, especially with Weiss. “I… don’t have the money to buy perfume.”

“Oh.” Weiss didn’t know what to say. She was afraid anything she would say could be misinterpreted given that she had more money than most people made in their lifetime.

“I offered her to lend her some of mine or Coco’s but she refused. I guess she did not want to make friend with the cute little doggie.” Velvet, affecting deep sadness, was trying to lighten the mood. _I guess I better be prepared, I’m sure it won’t be the last awkward moment of the day._

“First, It’s not against Zwei but dogs in general and two, I don’t want to be seen as one of yours or Coco’s conquest.” Blake saw the questioning look Weiss was throwing at her. “When people who are not on the same team have a similar smell, Faunus will assume they have been… getting very close.”

“H-how close?” Weiss had a good idea of the answer, but she wanted to be sure. If she was going to learn about Faunus, she was going to do it well and make sure she didn’t make bad assumptions.

“That they have been having sex.” Velvet answered the heiress question, keeping a straight face while the other two girls blushed.

“Thanks for your… straightforwardness Velvet.” Blake was still blushing while trying to continue her explanation. “That and the fact it’s these two, there would be lots of rumors and I’d rather not deal with this.”

“I can understand that.” Weiss was very familiar with rumors, their births and the effects they could have on people. “But what do you mean about Velvet and Coco?”

Blake looked at Velvet, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

Velvet shrugged. “It’s okay, it’s something we choose to do knowing the consequences.”

Blake turned toward Weiss, who was starting to get annoyed to be kept out of the loop. “About them… maybe you heard some rumors?” 

Weiss scoffed. “The ones were Velvet is a saint sent by the gods or the ones were her and Coco sleeps with people for money to pay for their drugs addiction?” Weiss shook her head. “Seriously, who came up with that?”

Velvet looked at her wide-eyed. “That’s a little excessive. And I think the first one as more to do with fetishists than anything else.” Velvet sighed. She had heard some of those rumors herself but she didn’t know it went that far. “First, we don’t do drugs. Coco might have a little problem with clothes, but it’s mostly under control. And I don’t get paid for sex.” Velvet thought for a few moments about the best way to explain the situation. “What I’m about to tell you is very personal for Coco and I, so if you could avoid spreading it around…”

Blake and Weiss nodded immediately, curious about what she wanted to talk about.

“Coco and I are actually together. We don’t act like it in public because I don’t want her to deal with all the crap people will throw at her for dating a Faunus. I… like sex and I don’t like limiting myself to one person, so we talked about it and agreed that I could go see other peoples if I wanted as long as it wasn’t serious, just a one-time thing. I think that’s what started some of those rumors.”

Weiss was the first one to break the silence that met the end of Velvet’s speech. “That’s… an interesting way of doing things. I don’t think I would be able to.”

“I was afraid she wouldn’t either, but she was okay with it. She doesn’t do it herself, but I’m really glad that she accept that.”

“Would you still say you love each other?”

Velvet thought for an instant, trying to find the best way to answer. “Yes. I suppose some would disagree, saying that it’s not love if I sleep with other peoples and that I am a cheating whore who doesn’t deserve her. More reasons to keep our relationship private.”

“People aren’t allowed to tell you how do things like that!” Weiss’ exclamation was met by surprised look from her friends. “Sorry. I just mean that if it’s the way you like it, then other people should just shut up and leave you alone.”

“Thank you Weiss. Most people find it weird.”

Weiss blushed a little and avoided Velvet’s gaze. “I actually do find it a little weird, I wouldn’t be able to have a relationship like that, but it doesn’t mean I have the right to tell you you’re doing it wrong and certainly not to tell you don’t deserve her.” Weiss stood up and started walking in circle in the room. “You two are the only ones who get to make decisions about your couple. Maybe close friends could give you their opinion, but total strangers should mind their own damn business.” She sat down next to Blake, still angry.

Blake looked at her teammate. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect you to react like that.”

Weiss looked at the ground, anger leaving place to sadness. “I… know a lot about other people trying to tell you how to be, who to like and trying to control you.” Velvet was getting ready to try and lighten the mood again, but Weiss was the one changing the subject this time, as she didn’t want to dwell on her problems. Velvet’s were more important right now. “I also heard things about you wanting to... you know… due to being a rabbit Faunus? Are your tastes and personality influenced by your…” Weiss stooped, thinking. “Is there a better way to say it than ‘animal part’?”

Velvet shrugged. “I don’t mind, but I think some Faunus would. Thing is, whatever you come up with, you’ll piss someone off, so I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. Does it influence us? Yes and no. It does on average but when you look at the individual, it doesn’t. Most Rabbit Faunus would tell you that they don’t have a higher than usual sex drive, but I do. Is it because I’m a Faunus? I don’t know and honestly, I don’t care. It’s a part of me, that’s all that matters. And being a ‘cute’ Faunus doesn’t hurt my chances either.” She winked at the two younger girls, who immediately turned red, before continuing her explanation. “Another example, cat Faunus tend to like fish more than the average, but there are some that hate it. Not that Blake is a good example.” Velvet threw a grin at Blake, who blushed slightly as her… predilection to eat tuna was pointed out.

“I’ll have you know that fish is very good for you and that a balanced diet should contain fish every day.”

“As you can see, there are also those that like it a lot more than usual.”

Blake frowned at being the butt of a joke, but soon started to smile when she saw her two friends laugh. She knew they meant well and she was glad to be able to talk so freely. The White Fang was not the best place to make jokes about Faunus.

“So Blake, what are your thoughts about ‘animal part’?” Weiss was curious about her friend opinion on the matter, and even if Velvet said not to worry, she wanted to know what Blake thought of it.

Blake thought about it. She wasn’t a big fan of the term, but they needed something simple for the sake of discussion. “I wouldn’t say I like it, but I now you’re not trying to insult us, so I’d say it’s okay if it’s you.”

Hearing that, Velvet used Blake’s pillow to avoid making too much noise due to her uncontrollable laughter. Weiss and Blake looked at each other, not understanding what she found so funny.

“Is this some Faunus thing?”

Blake shook her head. “No, I think she just has gone mad.”

“N-No…” Velvet was finally starting to calm down. She was trying to explain herself, being out of breath made it a little difficult. “I-It’s… You just… You just quoted ‘Ninjas of love’.”

Hearing that, Weiss decided to tease Blake a little. Maybe it would give her an opportunity to know more about her tastes. She got closer to Blake and looked at her in the eyes with a little smirk. “Quoting your favorite romance novel. Are you flirting with me kitty?”

Blake felt her stomach drop as her fear of Weiss thinking she was trying to seduce her was becoming reality in front of her and averted her gaze, unable to look Weiss in the eyes. “N-No… I didn’t mean to…” Her voice was barely audible for Weiss’ human hearing. Blake suddenly stood up and went to the bathroom, mumbling a quick “Coming back”.

Weiss felt a little sad has she saw her teammate lock herself in the bathroom. “Blake, not again.”

Velvet saw Weiss’ face betray her sadness. She did not like the way things were between the two girls and decided to try and help fix it. She turned toward Weiss. “I know we’re in your room and I don’t like asking you that, but do you think you could leave me and Blake alone for a few minutes?”

Weiss didn’t even try to discuss and left the room, asking for Velvet to message her when it was okay for her to come back. _I hope she’ll manage to get to Blake. I wonder what her problem is._ Weiss walked through the empty halls of Beacon, her footsteps echoing in the silence left by the absence of the students. _Maybe it’s something I said? I tried to avoid offending her, but I guess I still hurt her. I guess ‘kitty’ was too much. I thought it would be fine, but clearly I was wrong._ She was now at Beacon’s entrance and sat down on a bench, under the shade of a tree. She allowed herself to relax, as there was no one around to see her, and decided to lay down on the bench, putting an arm over her eyes. _Why am I always hurting her? I know we see some things differently, but if she just stopped running away… No, I shouldn’t blame her. It’s me. The cold, unfeeling Weiss Schnee, unable to talk with her teammate without hurting her._ After a few minutes, Weiss heard a message notification from her scroll. It was a message from Velvet asking her to come back.

She stood up from the bench and went back to her dorm, half-walking half-running, wanting to see if the girl that refused to leave her mind felt better. When arrived, she saw that Velvet was waiting for her in front of the door. “Blake is inside, she has something to tell you.” Weiss moved to open the door but Velvet stopped her. “I… have something that I’d like to ask you before you enter. Come with me.” The two girls moved a little further in the corridor, in a place where it was easy to see if someone was coming. “What do you think of Blake?”

Weiss frowned. “She’s my teammate—“

“That’s not what I asked and you know it. What is she to you?” Velvet as getting a little agitated. She understood that it was not an easy question, but she did not want to make Blake wait more than she needed.

“I… I’m not sure. She’s pretty, smart, she’s usually calm and aloof but she get super excited when talking about things she’s passionate about and it’s super cute and—“ She Velvet’s smirk and cleared her throat, her face a little red. “Anyway, I like her. But I don’t know if it’s just as a friend or more. Is that all?” Weiss’ tone was a little harsher than she intended, but she was very embarrassed to talk about her feelings with Velvet.

The Faunus understood that and decided to not hold it against her. “Thank you, and don’t worry, I won’t tell her. Now go, she’s waiting for you.” Weiss turned back and was going toward her room when she heard Velvet. “Ah wait. Could you please message me when you’re finished? I don’t want to go back just yet.” Weiss laughed internally at the change in behavior and nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of news about the releases of the chapters. Until now, I published a chapter a week but I have now reached the point where I am currently writing the next chapter. I don’t have a lot of time to write each day and I don’t want the quality to go down, so there will be a longer wait between chapters. I will post them as soon as I am satisfied with them and will work on getting faster.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	7. Honesty

When Weiss entered the room, the first thing she saw was Blake sitting on her bed, looking at the floor. She looked… resigned, as if she had made a decision that she knew could end badly but had to go through with anyway.

Weiss wondered where she should sit. Would it be better to be on her own bed, giving space to her friend? Or maybe she should sit next to her, showing her support. Maybe hugging her? No, too much. She decided to sit next to her, not too close, to leave her some space, but not so far that she could not be there if needs be. Weiss tried to make her voice as soft and friendly as possible. “Velvet said you wanted to talk to me.” 

Blake nodded. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, not knowing where to start. Finally, after a moment of silence, she talked, her voice shaking a little. “Do you mind if I flirt with you?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Weiss’ voice betrayed her surprised. She thought she had upset Blake and now she wanted to flirt with her?

Blake took a deep breath, her mind a little clearer and thinking that she should really work on how she started conversations. “Since you told us that you were into girls, I’ve been thinking.” Weiss repressed a frown. It sounded a lot like some unpleasant things she had heard, but she suspected that Blake’s issue was not about that. “And I realized that, sometimes, you could have thought that maybe I was trying to flirt with you when I say you’re cute or when I’m teasing you. And seeing how you react when Jaune do it, I don’t want you to hate me.”

Weiss shook her head. “I don’t… hate Jaune, he gets very annoying sometime, but most of the time he is okay. And I won’t hate you.” Weiss stopped and thought for a second. “As long as you don’t go too far anyway.” She tried to make a joke to lighten the mood, but Blake was not in the right mood to be receptive of the heiress’ attempt at humor. “So you like girls too?” Even if she knew not to get too excited, Weiss couldn’t stop her heart for beating a little faster.

“I didn’t. At least I never was attracted to one, but when I arrived to Beacon there were a lot of pretty girls, even in our team, and little by little, I realized that I wasn’t opposed to the idea.” Blake’s face was red when she finished. She just had realized that there was a specific girl on her mind when she mentioned pretty girls in her team.

Weiss felt her heart sink when she heard Blake talk about the team. _Yang…_ She did her best to keep her voice happy despite the lump in her throat. “There sure are a lot of pretty girls in Beacon.”

“The problem is, it scared me.”

“To like girls?” Asked Weiss, surprised.

Blake shook her head. “To realize I did. To realize I changed, even a little. I started to think that if I changed, I might become like him.”

“That guy that became creepy?” Weiss kept her voice calm, trying not to upset Blake by stirring up hard memories.

“Yes. Adam.”

Weiss remembered that Blake mentioned his name in the past. She had never heard of him, but knowing he was part of the White Fang and that he hurt Blake made her feel nothing but contempt for him. “How… close were you?” Weiss didn’t want to pry too much, but she couldn’t stop herself to want to know more about her mysterious teammate.

Blake took a moment to think. Was she okay with telling Weiss about that? Just thinking about it hurt but maybe talking about it with someone would… do something. She didn’t know what, she just wanted it to stop hurting so much. She looked Weiss in the eyes and started talking. “If you had asked me at the time, I would have said I loved him. Now? I think it was just a mix of admiration and gratitude. He trained me, he was there for me when times were hard. I owe him a lot. But I saw him change, becoming the same as, if not worse than, the people we fought against. I was afraid of changing, becoming… someone else, like he did.”

“Blake…” Weiss just realized that she put her hand on Blake’s when she talked. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to smack you on the head when you start to go crazy.”

Blake had a light chuckle, thankful that her friend was here for her. “You know, before we met at Beacon, I hated you. For me, you were one of the people that benefited the most from our suffering. You had all the money in the world, everything you ever wanted. When we were cold and hungry, you were sleeping in sheets of gold after a full course meal.” Blake took Weiss’ hand in hers. “Yet, here you are, supporting me when all of my former ‘friends’ think of me as a traitor and want me dead. I was wrong, and I’m so sorry for that.” She looked at the floor, unable to look in those blue eyes any longer.

Without thinking, Weiss took Blake in her arms. “Of course I forgive you, you dolt. We’re friends.”

The two girls stayed like that for a few minutes before Blake, feeling a little better, broke the hug. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Weiss voice came back to normal. “But seriously, sheets of gold? That would be incredibly uncomfortable.”

Blake laughed. “We were angsty teenagers, we made up things like that all the time.”

“Oh? Now I’m curious.”

Blake stopped laughing when she thought about what they told about the Schnee family. “I… don’t think you would like it. It was really mean.”

Weiss was getting worried. “Do you have an example? I… would like to know what people tell about my family.”

“Well…” Blake was trying to stop fidgeting, but what she was about to tell made her very uncomfortable. “They talked about how you and your sister were… sleeping with anything that moved, how the parties you went to were orgies and some even talked about what they’d do to you if they got their hands on you. It was very… graphic.”

Weiss got angry at Blake’s words. “What? It never went further than me getting a hug. Where does that come from? And why does every rumors always have to do with sex?” She calmed down seeing the guilt on Blake’s face. She sighed. “Well, it’s not like the peoples at those parties were any better. There were a lot of similar rumors about Faunus.”

Blake was the one breaking the silence in the room. “Let’s not think about that.” Weiss nodded, happy to oblige. “So… did I get your first hug?” Blake grinned, a weight having been lifted from her chest from talking about Adam while Weiss’ face turned red, realizing what she said.

“Yeah yeah, I’m an inexperienced little girl, I know.” Thinking about the soirees reminded Weiss all the things that had been said about her in her back and she wasn’t able to hide the bitterness in her voice.

“Weiss, I didn’t mean it like that. I just think it’s nice that your more comfortable around m—us.”

Weiss had a soft smile for Blake, until she remembered Velvet. “How long have we made Velvet wait outside?”

“Oops.” Blake took her scroll and sent a message to Velvet, telling her she could come back.

A few moments later, they heard knocking on the door. Blake went to open the door and let Velvet back in. “Sorry it took so long.”

Velvet shook her head and smiled. “Not a problem. I actually got a call from Coco.”

“Did you two make up?” Weiss hoped that Velvet wouldn’t mind her asking about that.

Velvet sighed. “We both apologized, but we agreed that we should… give each other some space. So, if your offer still stand, I’d like to stay here a little longer.” The two girls nodded, having no problem letting her stay. “I also found something interesting while I waited.” Velvet smiled at Weiss took out her scroll. “The last time you sang in public.”

Weiss looked at the ground, feeling a lot more melancholic than she would have thought. “That song…”

Velvet was about to play the recording of the charity event she had found when Blake stopped her. ”I’m not sure Weiss wants to hear that.”

Weiss had a small smile, trying to hide how much that song affected her. “It’s okay Blake. You should listen to it, I heard the singer’s pretty good.”

Blake rolled her eyes at Weiss’ bragging but she couldn’t suppress her smile. She knew Weiss was supposed to be a good singer but never got around to listening to her and was interested to see how it went.  
Velvet launched the video and, even though the quality of the speaker of her scroll was not very good, Weiss’ song filled the room. Blake knew that some White Fang members listened regularly to the singing of the heiress even when the higher-ups forbid it, and she now understood why. She didn’t listen to a lot of music, but she could hear that Weiss’ singing was top-notch. The song was a little surprising, she expected Weiss’ taste in music to be a lot more traditional, maybe like an opera, but she liked it a lot and wondered if she could find a good recording somewhere. 

Then she started paying attention to the lyrics, and she understood Weiss’ reaction to the song. Most people listening probably thought that they were just inspired by teenage angst, a rich little girl throwing a hissy fit. But she knew Weiss better than most people, and she knew that there was more than that. It was Weiss expressing her feelings of loneliness to everyone. Blake couldn’t help but feel guilty, knowing that she had been part of the problem, even if only a little.

She watched the Weiss on the screen salute the audience, and then looked at the Weiss in the room with her. She had hidden her face in her hand at some point during the song. “Weiss, I’m—“

“Stop.” Weiss removed her head from her hands and Blake, who had thought she was crying, was surprised to see that it wasn’t the case. “You—” She was unable to keep talking, her words getting stuck in her throat. “Give me a moment.” She stood up and went to the bathroom to compose herself. She had managed to keep a straight face, but her voice had betrayed her and refused to come out.

“Weiss…” Blake’s voice was nothing more than a whisper, but Velvet understood that Blake felt very bad, thinking that she had hurt Weiss.

She put a hand on Blake’s shoulder, trying to comfort her. “Blake, it’s going to be fine.”

Blake put her head against Velvet’s chest, breathing heavily and rapidly. ”You—You saw how she reacted. Wha—What if she… she is angry because we watched this and—“

“Blake, please stop. Listen to what she has to say before imagining the worst case scenario.” Velvet kept her voice low and steady, soothing. She felt that Blake was starting to calm down, her breath slowing down. “You really got it bad for her.”

There was a silence, and then a sound almost imperceptible. “Hum.”

Blake was happy that Velvet couldn’t see how red her face was when she said that. Blake wasn’t sure how she felt about Weiss, but the pain she felt at the idea of having hurt her and the fact that a small “hum” was the only sound she managed to make made her realize that there was something more than just friendship.

Blake stood up suddenly, Velvet barely dodging her head, when she heard the door of the bathroom open. “Weiss, are you okay?”

Weiss smiled to her, a little annoyance peering through her expression. “Of course I am, my throat was just a little dry.” The two girls sat back down on the bed. “Well, I did get a bit… emotional. That concert means a lot to me. I had just convinced my dad to let me come to Beacon, which was not something easy.” Her hand went to her face and touched her scar, lightly caressing the wounded flesh.

Feeling that Blake was stopping herself from saying something, Velvet elbowed her in the side, encouraging her to talk. “It look nice.” Weiss looked at her liked she had grown a second head, thinking she talked about her convincing her dad, which didn’t make any sense. Blake felt her stomach sink and tried to explain herself better. “I mean, your scar—I think it looks good… I mean, you are pretty and it doesn’t make you less pretty—” Weiss put a finger on Blake’s mouth, sparring her the embarrassment of trying to end her sentence. 

“Most people think I have a complex about my scar because it ruined my face or something. I don’t. I don’t have a problem with it, I’m proud of it due to how I got it. But thank you.” _It means a lot to me that you of all people don’t mind._ Weiss removed her finger from Blake’s mouth and the two girls smiled at each other, Blake being happy that Weiss wasn’t angry.

Velvet let them enjoy the moment before talking. “I know it don’t mean as much to you coming from me,” Weiss blushed a little hearing that, realizing that Velvet knew how she felt about Blake liking her scar, “but I also think it look nice. You haven’t seen it a lot yet since you’re in your fist year, but some students get really depressed after getting a big or visible scar like yours. The way I see it, no matter how bad you think it looks, having a scar mean that you survived the blow and that you are still there to talk about it. It’s a show of your strength as a huntsman.”

Weiss thought about her own circumstances. “It really does. Thank you Velvet.”

“Anytime. I wondered… How did you get it?”

“I… I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m ready…” Weiss found it strange that, even if she looked back on the event with pride, she felt extremely uncomfortable talking about it with her friends. Maybe because she was trying to keep her… difficulties with her family away from her life at Beacon.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Velvet was curious, but she wasn’t willing to put her burgeoning friendship with Weiss at risk. “So, I think we were talking about Faunus.”

“We were.” Blake perked up. She was happy that Weiss was willing to learn more about Faunus and that they were finally getting back to something she knew more about than relationships. She turned toward the heiress. “You know, maybe you should get the more offensives questions you can think about now so that we can get it over with.”

Weiss thought about what to ask. “I guess I should start with something I heard a few times.” Weiss took a deep breath. Even if they said she could ask anything, it was so insulting she felt bad talking about it. “Do… ugh, I don’t know how to say it without sounding stupid. Some people say that Faunus are all sex-crazed beasts.” Weiss’ face was red at having been so crude. “I know it’s not true, but that plus what Velvet told us earlier made me wonder, are Faunus more… open-minded about that?”

“I think I’m more the exception than the rule.” Velvet smiled at Weiss, showing that she had not crossed any lines. “Faunus are not a bloc of like-minded peoples, on things like that we’re exactly like humans, with everyone having a different opinion. Some people try to make it seems otherwise though.”

“That’s something the White Fang did, to try and make it look like all Faunus agrees on everything.” Blake looked around the room she shared with her friends, far from the blood-thirsty members of the White Fang. “And the people propagating those rumors are clearly jealous to not have a cute Faunus partner.”

Seeing that Blake took it lightly did wonder to the mood of everyone. Weiss and Velvet knew that those issues were very important to Blake and her making a joke about it made both of them happy.

Weiss remembered there was something that had been on her mind almost since she learned Blake was a Cat Faunus. “Blake, there is something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while.” Blake looked at Weiss with curiosity in her eyes, wondering what she wanted to know. ”Is… Is your tongue rough like a cat’s?”

Blake smiled internally. It was a question she got asked a lot, usually by people being way too comfortable getting close to her, but she was happy that Weiss was interested in her. She decided to tease her a little. And if she could get a little flirting in at the same time, all the better since she said she was okay with it. She brought her face very close to Weiss’s, like leaning for a kiss and whispered with a lascivious smile. “Want to see for yourself?”

Blake suppressed a chuckle at Weiss’ face turning red and her inability to react. 

Velvet, seeing Blake faking going to kiss Weiss, decided to give the two girls a hand in kick-starting their relationship. When Blake was just a few centimeters away from Weiss, she pushed the smaller girl, trying to make it look like an accident if she was questioned later. Weiss, stunned by Blake’s actions, did not resist being pushed forward.

Blake and Weiss’ lips met, and the two girls stayed like that for a few seconds before fully realizing what had happened. After separating, Weiss immediately started apologizing. “I—I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened, I didn’t mean… I’m sorry…”

Blake couldn’t hide her surprise. She expected Weiss to get angry and start shouting, or maybe get embarrassed depending on her mood, but apologizing? There was something that made Blake feel uncomfortable about the situation, even if she didn’t know why. ”It’s fine Weiss, you don’t have to apologize.”

Weiss kept her head down, unable to look Blake in the eye. “I have to! I’m—“

Blake took Weiss in her arms, not letting her talk “Stop. You don’t have to apologize.” Blake kept Weiss against her until she felt that she calmed down. She decide to try and change the subject. As curious as she was about Weiss’ behavior, she felt that there would be a better time to ask about it. She looked at Velvet trying to get her to help.

Velvet, for her part, was feeling bad that her trying to help led to this situation and was more than happy to help Blake change the subject. “Any other questions Weiss?”

“Y-Yes!” Weiss answered quickly, all too happy to think of something else. “How do your ears feels? Are they like your human ears or are they more sensitive?”

Velvet thought for a second before answering, touching her humans and rabbit ears “They’re mostly the same, but the differences in shape can change a few things.” Velvet took her rabbit ears in one hand, without holding too strongly. “It’s pretty easy to catch my ears and yank, and it hurts like hell.”

“Mine are pretty thin and don’t handle abuse very well. That’s why a lot of Faunus with cat ears or something similar tend to have marks on them or missing pieces, they’re easy to damage.”

Weiss looked at Blake with sadness in her eyes. “That’s awful. They’re so cute.”

Hearing that, Blake looked at Velvet, grinning. “In case you didn’t notice, Weiss has a—“

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Belladonna.”

“—a thing for Faunus attributes.”

“Blake!” Weiss’ face was red with embarrassment. She turned toward Velvet, hoping that she wouldn’t be too weirded out.

“That’s cute.”

Weiss couldn’t hide her surprise. “What? You don’t think it’s weird?”

Velvet shrugged. “I’ve heard a lot weirder. Did you know that one of Blake’s fetish is light-colored hair, like blonde or white?”

It was Blake’s turn to blush at having something private come to light. “Velvet!” Weiss felt a small pain in her chest as it gave more weight to the idea that Blake was attracted to Yang.

“What? It wouldn’t be fair to Weiss otherwise.” Velvet sent one of her biggest grin to Blake, who frowned, realizing that she had a point and not liking having her teasing turned back against her.

While the two Faunus were busy bickering, Weiss heard her scroll ring. She looked at the screen, where a single word was written, ‘Father.’ She stopped the ringing, not answering. She saw that there were two pairs of eyes looking at her when she looked up.

“Not answering?”

“Wrong number.” Weiss did not want to have to explain her feelings toward her father right now. “I had another question—“

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. They all looked at each other, not expecting anyone. Weiss stood up and went to see who it was. When she opened the door, she was met by a girl with brown hair, a caramel lock and a pair of sunglasses. “Hi Weiss. Is Vel still here?” Somehow, Coco seemed different than usual, like if her self-confidence had been taken away.

“Coco?” Velvet stood up and went to see her girlfriend. “Why are you here?” The air between them was tense, it was clear that there was still some resentment left between the two girls.

“Yatsu would like to speak to you. He is in the room. I came to tell you so that I wouldn’t be there when you are.”

“Thank you.” Her thanks, while not as cold as her earlier words, were still far from the warmth lover’s usually had for each other. She turned toward Weiss and Blake. “I’d better go, see you later. I’ll try to call you soon for a photo shoot.” The three girls watched as she went back to her room.

After sighing at seeing Velvet leave without looking at her, Coco turned back to Weiss. “Has Ruby already left?”

“She did. They left with the first airship. Very early.” Weiss was still not happy at having had to wake up so early.

“I see. Well, see you around.” Coco was starting to leave when she heard Weiss call her.

“Wait, Coco. Are you going somewhere?”

Coco was so surprised by the question that she answered reflexively. “I’m just going to walk around, waiting for the time I can go back to my team.”

“Do you want to stay with us for a little while?” Hearing that, Blake and Coco looked at the heiress like she had revealed she was a Faunus.

“S—Sure.” Entering the room, Coco had to ask Weiss about her offer. “Not that I don’t appreciate, but why?”

“Because I know how painful it is to be alone, especially after a fight with someone close to you.” Weiss answered like it was obvious and Blake felt surprise and admiration seeing her want to help Coco so naturally. “Also, Ruby likes you, so you can’t be all that bad.”

After getting inside the room, the first thing Coco noticed were the beds. She put her handbag down next to the foot of Weiss’ bed, looked at Ruby’s and gave it a little push, making the bed swing on its ropes. “Don’t tell someone sleep in this.”

“It’s Ruby’s bed,” said Blake, confirming that someone did sleep in it.

“I’m starting to think that this girl is not right in the head. She even used gravity Dust rounds at the shooting range yesterday.” Coco threw her arms in the air, remembering all the clean-up that had had to be done after Ruby’s… demonstration.

“She can get a little… carried away when she gets excited, but she is a good person.” Weiss tried to defend her leader, but she understood exactly what Coco meant, having been in the same situation before.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like her, but I don’t think she has any sense of danger.”

Hearing Coco say that she liked Ruby reminded Weiss of her earlier conversation with Velvet. She wasn’t sure if the older girl would accept answering, but she figured she might as well ask.

“Coco?” Weiss waited for the tall girl to turn toward her before continuing. “I’d like to ask you some questions about your relationship with Velvet if it’s okay with you.” As she said it, she realized how bad it sounded. Blake’s offended “Weiss!” did not help.

“What… kinds of questions?” Coco knew that her girlfriend trusted Weiss enough to ask her to model for her, but she also knew that most people would not understand her relationship with Velvet and she was not in the mood for that.

Weiss shrugged, trying to make it sound as inoffensive as she could. “I’m just curious to know how you see it. It’s very different from what I’m used to, so I’d like to know more.”

After thinking about it, Coco decided to accept. Maybe talking with someone about it would help her get her thoughts in order after the fight she had earlier. She looked at Blake and showed the bed with her hand. “Can I?” Blake nodded, allowing her to sit down. After getting comfortable, Coco looked at Weiss, who sat down next to her. “Ask away.”

The first question came immediately, as it was something that Weiss had on her mind since she talked with Velvet. “Do you love Velvet?”

The answer came as quickly as the question. “Yes.” Coco didn’t had anything. No matter what anyone would say, no matter that they had a fight earlier and things were not back to normal between them, her affection for the Faunus was not something she would allow anyone to question. “Did you ask her the same question?” Coco seemed like a different person when she asked the question, the same way she was when she was looking for Velvet. In normal circumstances, she would never let other people see her like that, but she was not in the mood to keep up the act.

“I did.” Weiss’ voice got softer, and she had a small smile for the older girl. “She said she loved you.” Weiss would never admit it, but she loved those types of love story where the two person were not afraid to say they loved each other, even after a fight. 

Coco offered a small smile to the heiress. “I wondered what Ruby saw in you. Now I know that you’re not as cold as you seem.”

Weiss crossed her arms and huffed. “Of course I’m not cold. Why does everyone keep saying that?”

Coco looked at Blake, wondering if it was a joke.

Blake shook her head. “She doesn’t do it on purpose.”

“I will forget about your insinuations for the time being. I have something else I wanted to ask.” Weiss stopped pouting and looked Coco in the eyes. As much as she could with the sunglasses on anyway. She knew it was a very personal question and that it was likely she wouldn’t get an answer. “Doesn’t it hurt to see Velvet with other people?”

Coco rubbed her forehead with her hand and took a deep breath. “You’re really good at asking upsetting questions, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer if—“

“It’s okay, just… give me a minute.” Under normal circumstances, Coco wouldn’t be talking about this topic with two girls she barely knew, but the all the things Ruby said about them and the trust Velvet showed toward them, in addition to her fight with her girlfriend earlier and needing to get her problems off her chest, convinced her to talk. “When we got together, one of the first thing she asked was if I was okay with an arrangement where she could sleep with other people. At the time, I thought that I would manage as long as she didn’t do it in front of me. I just got out of a relationship with a very possessive person and I didn’t want to be like that. In retrospect, I should have thought about it more, because I was wrong in thinking it would be okay.” Coco removed her sunglasses rubbed her eyes, keeping them closed until she put back her sunglasses. “I was so, so wrong. When I see her coming back in the morning… it hurts so much.” Her breathing was starting to become heavy as she stopped tears from coming. “She tries to be as discreet as possible, but I can tell. I can see that her clothes are slightly out of place, I can smell the perfume of another person.” She looked at the two girls in the room with her, realizing where she was. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to bore you with something that doesn’t concern you. That was not really cool of me.” Coco added a laugh at the end, trying to hide her embarrassment and to downplay how important it was to her, but her voice was not completely back to normal.

“You should tell her.” Weiss broke the silence, deciding to give her opinion. “I have a very good friend that has a tendency to… keep to herself when she has a problem. It’s not easy to get her to talk and finding by yourself is not really enjoyable, because you can’t help but think she didn’t trust you and that it could have been solved a lot quicker if she had shared what was on her mind.”

Blake looked at Weiss, wondering if it was about her.

“That’s why I think you should tell her.” Weiss kept on talking, unaware that she had all the attention of her teammate. “She’s your girlfriend. What’s the point if you can’t be honest with her?”

Coco shook her head. “She’ll think that I’m the crazy possessive type of girlfriend.” As detached as she tried to act in general, her relationship with Velvet mattered a lot to Coco.

“Velvet is not like that, I’m sure she’ll understand.” Blake decided to go along with Weiss in trying to help the girl in front of her. Not only was Velvet her friend and advising Coco would benefit her, she could not let someone in need of help be without trying to do something. “You have to be open with your feelings. I have someone close to me who very often hide her feelings and a lot of people misunderstand her because of that and think she is cold and arrogant. It’s not entirely wrong, but she is also a really nice person when you get to know her.” Blake realized she deviated from the subject and blushed. She cleared her throat and went back to the matter at hands. “What I mean is, be honest and open about your feelings.”

Coco looked at Weiss, who was looking everywhere in the room but Blake since she talked about her friend, clearly realizing it was about her. The older girl understood that it was as much about her and Velvet as about each other and couldn’t help but smile. They clearly cared a lot for each other but didn’t know how to express it, reminding her of Velvet when she first arrived in Beacon. She was shy, unable to let her true feelings out and had been through hard times because of that, but Coco helped her open up and gradually fell for her, leading them to where they were now. _I guess some things are easier to see from the outside._ Coco stood up and put a hand on the head of each girl, taking care not to get too close to Blake’s bow.

“Thanks, you two.” Her voice was softer than usual but quickly came back to normal. “It’s a little weird to get cheered up by people younger than me, but I needed that.” Coco went to take back her handbag. “I’m going to go, I need to talk with Vel.” As she reached for the door, she stooped to say one last thing to the two girls. “I’m thankful for what you said to me but… was it really for me that you said that, or did you have another person in mind?” She left after saying that, leaving Weiss and Blake to think about what the other meant.

“That was a… pretty interesting morning.” Weiss was the one to say what they both thought. “I guess Velvet was right when she said that everyone is hiding something.”

“She was.” Blake was a little worried about Weiss' opinion on her friend, given what they learned about her. “Are you not too… weirded out by her?”

Weiss took some time to think about it. “A little. They love each other but she still sleeps with other people, I can understand why it’s hard for Coco.” She paused getting her thoughts in order. “I think it’s something between them and not really our business. For me, Velvet is still Velvet, she hasn’t changed, I just know more about her. Call me a romantic, but I don’t want to sleep with someone I’m not in love with, so Velvet is just a girl I talk to and who takes photos. What she does when she is not with us is her own business.”

Blake looked at the girl besides her. Trying to control other people was something that Weiss really hated, and while she didn’t want to ask about it right now, Blake had a good idea why. She remembered that she had something else she wanted to ask Weiss. “About the concert… You wouldn’t happen to have a good quality recording of it by any chance?”

“My father might have one. He always liked my singing.” Melancholy showed on Weiss’ face for a brief instant before disappearing. “Why? Do you want one?”

Blake’s cheeks got a little red and nodded. “I don’t listen to a lot of music but I found it amazing.”

Weiss smiled at the compliment. For once, she felt it was genuine and not something said because she was a Schnee. “I’ll see what I can do. Have you ever tried singing?”

Blake looked at her straight in the eyes, her usual neutral expression back. “I sound like a drowning cat when I try.”

Weiss managed to stay impassible for a few seconds before cracking up. “Haha… I’m s-sorry… Haha… I’m just—I’m imagining that… Hahaha”

At first, Blake was smiling at how cute she found the heiress when she was laughing, then she slowly began to find her laughter contagious and started to laugh herself.

After managing to calm down, Weiss took Blake in her arms, surprising the Faunus. “Thank you for opening up to me rather than keeping to yourself.”

Blake reciprocated the hug. “Thank you for pushing me to do it. It feels a lot better than running away.”

The girls stayed in other arms a few more minutes before Blake broke the silence. “You like hugs a lot for someone who don’t like having people close to you.”

She was just making an observation, but Weiss broke off the hug and moved away from Blake, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. “It’s weird, isn’t it? I don’t like people touching me or getting close, but you… I don’t have a problem with you.” _I rather like it to be honest._ Weiss stood up. “I’d like to have some work done while we have some peace and quiet. Not that I don’t enjoy spending time with you but…”  
“Don’t worry, I understand completely. As nice as it is to spend time with friends, I like being by myself from time to time.” The two girls smiled at each other in understanding and went to their occupations.

Weiss sat at her desk pretending to do some homework while in reality writing a new song. Hearing ‘Mirror Mirror’ again made her want to write some more, and while she had no problem singing in public, writing was something she wanted to keep for herself.

Blake was on her bed, a book in her hands. She managed to borrow the latest volume of ‘Ninjas of Love’ from the library as soon as they got it and was eager to read it. She could have had it earlier if she had bought it herself, but money was tight since they hadn’t been paid for their last mission. Ozpin had decided to wait until the city had been repaired to pay them, talking about wanting to see the final repair cost. Only a pretext of course, the pay for first year team’s mission wouldn’t even begin to cover it. Weiss had told them that it was probably a political stunt. Ruby and Yang didn’t mind much as they had some money left, but Blake was almost out and hadn’t been able to indulge her love of books for quite some time. All she could do was to wait to be paid and resist the call of her favorite bookstore.

The rest of their day was spent in a similar fashion, with Blake reading a Weiss writing. After lunch, Weiss decided to go train for some time before coming back and starting reading the book Blake lent. The Faunus was very happy that her friend was reading her favorite book and couldn’t stop herself for throwing glances at her in the hope she could catch something that would tell her if Weiss liked the book or not. At one point, she noticed that the pale girl’s cheeks were getting tinged with red and that she was looking at her, uncomfortable. Blake smiled as she guessed what scene she was currently reading and decided to go train to give her some space to avoid making her feel more awkward, only coming back when it was already dark out. She wanted Weiss to finish the book as soon as she could to be able to talk with her about it. Blake could still see the light coming from Weiss’ side of the room when she fell asleep, putting a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still working on getting to write at a decent speed and I will keep you updated as soon as I find how much time you can expect between chapters.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story. 
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed.
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	8. Breakfast in bed

The next morning was very hard on Weiss. Not only had she woken up early the previous day, she had been up late, reading the book Blake lent her. 

Blake approached the sleeping girl’s bed and whispered, knowing how Weiss reacted when she was woken up too brutally. “Weiss, you should get up, it will be too late to get a breakfast.” The only response she got was an unladylike grunt, after which Blake decided to go eat alone.

Unlike the heiress, Blake was in a good mood this morning. Zwei was away —she remembered that she had to wash her sheets to get the dog smell out—, the sisters were away —as much as she liked them, Weiss was right to say that they were an enemy of peace and quiet— and Weiss seemed to have enjoyed ‘Ninjas of Love’. It was enough to make her smile on the way to the cafeteria.

As she arrived, she got an idea. Given how Weiss seemed to have a hard time getting up, maybe she’d like to have her breakfast in her bed. She went to see one of the person in charge of the food, an old ocelot Faunus that Blake had become friend with over their mutual love of fish. “Hello Sienna.”

“Hi Blake.” The old woman smiled at Blake, happy to see one of her favorite student. “Don’t you think it’s a little early for fish?”

Blake’s cheeks turned pink. “Fish is delicious and I’m sure there is a way to include it in breakfast.” Sienna shook her head in amusement, which Blake decided to ignore. “Actually, I wanted to ask you if you had bed trays.”

“Oh oh, is it for the manly monkey?” Sienna never referred to any student by name, Blake being one of the very few exceptions, only using nicknames when not in front of them. When Blake asked her why she didn’t use names, she told the young girl that it was to try to make it less painful when they didn’t come back. Her sad smile dissuaded Blake to ask her if it worked.

“No, someone from my team. She’s having a hard time this morning.”

“Such a good teammate. The busty blonde or little Summer?” Summer Rose had been Sienna’s favorite student during her time at Beacon, and Ruby reminded her of her mother so much she almost thought she saw a ghost the first time Ruby came to her for extra strawberries.

“Neither. It’s Weiss. She’s not a morning person.”

“I see, the prissy princess. Wait here, I’ll go get one.”

Blake went to get some coffee for Weiss while waiting for Sienna. She knew she liked it and would probably need it.

Sienna came back with a white bed tray that had snowflakes cutouts on the edges. “I think it will be quite appropriate for your princess.” Blake took it and quickly assembled a breakfast she knew Weiss would enjoy and added a few things for herself.

“Thank you Sienna.”

“Don’t worry about it dear. Now go make her happy. It might not be her first breakfast in bed, but I’m sure it will be her favorite.” Sienna looked at Blake as she leaved with a smile. Huntsmen were here to protect the happiness of others, and even if she was not active anymore, she always did her best to help the students that asked for it.

* * *

Weiss had been struggling to wake up since Blake talked to her earlier. She wanted to get up and start her day, not waste her time in her bed, but the soft pillow and warm sheets beckoned her to stay in bed for just a little longer. And a little longer. And a little longer. Until she smelled the aroma of fresh coffee floating in the air. She shouldn’t be able to smell it in her room. There should not be coffee in the room. She slowly opened her eyes to solve this mystery and saw Blake next to her bed, holding something from which wafted the wonderful fragrance of the black beverage.

“Good thing you’re waking up, I brought breakfast.” Blake smiled at the waking girl, hoping she would be in a good enough mood to not get angry at her for waking her up.

Weiss, with some difficulties, managed to get herself in position to eat in her bed, half-lying down, half-sitting against her pillow. She still wasn’t sure what was happening, but there was coffee and breakfast.

Blake put down the tray on Weiss’ bed, put a pillow on the floor and kneeled next to the bed to eat with her friend.

Weiss, not completely awake, looked at the tray, then at Blake, and leaned to kiss her on the cheek.

Blake jumped a little, surprised by the sudden physical contact and looked at Weiss wide-eyed. She did hope that Weiss would appreciate her bringing breakfast, but that was a lot more than she was expecting.  
Weiss’ face was getting redder and redder as she realized what she had done. “I-I’m sorry. I was at the breakfast scene when I got to sleep and I guess I was a little too much into it…” Weiss’ voice went decrescendo and ended in something that was barely a whisper.

Blake couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “You know, I’m not against roleplaying scenes from my favorite book, but we should eat for now.” Weiss nodded and her hands went for the coffee. “So, what did you think of ‘Ninjas of Love’?” Blake knew it would be better to wait a little, but she really wanted to hear Weiss’ thoughts on it.

Weiss thought about it while eating her pain au chocolat. “I wasn’t that into it at first, the beginning is pretty standard, but I started liking it a lot more as we learned about the characters. They’re very well written.” Weiss stopped for a second before sighing. “And to be completely honest, the story of the princess running from her home because her father want to control her life is something I can relate to, maybe a little too much.”

“Is she your favorite character?”

“I… think she might be. Some part of her remind me of myself.” Weiss’ embarrassment could be heard in her voice, she didn’t like talking about her personality. “But the others are good too. And I liked the twist after her first lesson.”

“I remember it. I had to go on a sabotage mission just as I finished reading that, it horrible to… have to… wait…” Blake voice disappeared as she realized that she just admitted to attacking a Schnee facility in front of Weiss. Of course Weiss knew about it, but saying it out loud in front of her made Blake feel very awkward.

Weiss felt the uneasiness of her friend and took her hand. “Blake, I know that you destroyed my family’s properties and attacked our employees. I don’t like it, but we can’t change it. I understand why you did it, but the past is the past. I’m not saying you can boast about how many train you blew up, but just saying you had a mission won’t make me angry at you.” While what she said was mostly true, she had exaggerated a little about the fact that she didn’t mind. For Weiss, White Fang’s missions meant family members and friends disappearing and resurfacing a few weeks later in a canal, house staff getting injured because they were easier to target than her or her sister and her father working more and spending even less time with his family.

“As you wish princess.” With a smile, she took the hand Weiss used to touch her and gave it a light kiss making both of them giggle. “But don’t hesitate to stop me. I don’t want you to hide you don’t like it for my sake.”

Weiss smiled reassuringly. “I won’t.”

“Good.” With how much Weiss told Blake to talk about her problems instead of hiding them, the Faunus would not let her do the same. “And what did you think about the sex scenes?”

Weiss blushed and took several seconds to think before answering. “They were surprisingly well written compared to the average,” Blake raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting on Weiss knowledge on the average quality of this type of scenes, “but I was not a big fan of them.”

“That’s actually a big debate among fans, whether they should be removed or not. Not everyone likes them.”

“It’s not really the type of scenes,” Weiss blushed and turned her head, trying to hide her face, “but more because they were all between a man and a woman.”

“In that case, maybe you’ll like the…” Blake frowned, trying to remember exactly when the moment she had in mind happened. “I think it’s the second book where the princess realize a few things about herself and her friend at the village.” Blake thought that she should re-read the volume, as she was going through something similar to the princess. Maybe it would help her seeing things more clearly.

“Do you have it?”

“I have the second and third volume, but not the fourth and fifth.”

“You don’t enjoy the series anymore?”

Blake shook her head. ”It’s better than ever, but…” Blake hung her head and finished her sentence in a whisper. “I don’t have the money.”

“I—I’m sorry.” It was two times in as many days that Weiss had forced Blake to say that she had no money and she chided herself for that. She decided to change the subject. “Would you like to go to Vale today? There is a few places I’d like to go.” In reality, she only wanted to spend more time with Blake, but saying it like that was a little too much for her.

“That sounds nice. When do you want to go?” Blake mood improved at the proposal. She would only be able to afford something really cheap, but it didn’t hurt to look.

“I was thinking after lunch. There is a book I’d like to finish this morning.” Weiss had a small smile, showing the book Blake lent her with her hand.

They finished eating breakfast while talking some more about ‘Ninjas of Love’ and Blake brought back the tray while Weiss dressed up and went right back to reading, copied by Blake when she came back.

The morning was spent in silence, only broken by the sound of pages turning as one of the two girls went further into the book she was reading. Some people might find it boring, but they were both used to spending their time alone and in silence, a rare commodity in Beacon, and enjoyed it a lot.

* * *

After eating lunch, Weiss came to speak to Blake before she could go back to her book. “Should we go now?”

“Let’s.” As Weiss turned around to leave, Blake interrupted her. “There is a place I’d like to go if it’s okay with you. An old bookstore.”

Weiss heard the hesitation in Blake’s voice and turned toward her. “Of course. Is there a problem with the place?”

“There is a lot of Faunus in this part of the city so…” Blake couldn’t finish her sentence. She hated having to ask that of her friend, but she really wanted to go to the bookstore.

“You’d like me to wear something a little less… Schnee.” Blake nodded, unable to look at Weiss directly. “I can try. How recognizable am I?”

“You don’t mind?”

“You really want to go, don’t you? Then I will try to not make us targets for a stoning.”

Blake was very thankful to Weiss. If a Schnee were to be caught in this part of the city, it could only end badly. “I’d say the most telling is your family crest on your jacket, then your hair, then your scar and your weapon.”

Weiss thought for a few moments before going to her dresser. She took some clothes she thought would be appropriate, removed her jacket and was about to remove her dress when she looked at Blake. “Could you turn around please?” There was no animosity in her voice and Blake immediately complied.

Weiss finished dressing up quickly. “You can look.”

Blake turned back to see what Weiss had chosen. She was wearing a light gray hoodie left open over a white shirt with a light blue skirt that stopped in the middle of her thighs.

“What do you think? I can use the hood to hide my hair when we get there.”

“It looks very nice.” Blake was happy that she managed to compliment Weiss on her looks without completely ridiculing herself this time. “You almost don’t look like a spoiled brat.”

Weiss stuck her tongue out at Blake who laughed at the childish display. “Will you take Gambol Shroud?” Blake nodded. “Then I’ll leave Myrtenaster here. You’ll be my knight in black armor if something happens.”

Hearing those words, Blake put a knee on the ground. “Yes, your highness.”

“Finally, I am treated the way I deserve.” Both girls laughed as Blake stood up. “I hope the hood will be enough for my scar. You have no idea how hard it is to find foundation that match my skin tone.”

Blake pulled up one of Weiss’ sleeve and put her arm next to the heiress’. “I’m not that darker than you.”

“You’re right. You know, I can almost hear Yang make a comment about it, something like I’m dead inside so I’m like a ghost.”

Blake frowned. “You know she is not like that. And I would also get a comment, not just you."

Weiss looked at the floor, embarrassed. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have said that about her. I didn’t mean to insult your partner.”

Blake was surprised by the way Weiss phrased it. “You don’t consider her your friend?”

“I do but…” Weiss stopped herself. She had never said that to anyone, did she want to trust Blake and say it to her? She then remembered that Blake had trusted her enough to talk about her relationship with Adam, something she could tell had not be easy for her. She took a deep breath and spoke. “While I do consider some people my friends, you, Ruby and Yang being the closest to me, I have a very hard time telling if people consider me their friends. Intellectually, I know that Ruby consider me a friend, but sometimes I can’t help but think that maybe it’s not true, maybe she is just… pretending to be my friend because it’s convenient, because I’m in her team.” Her voice was shaking, but she managed to keep talking “And the worst is that I know she wouldn’t do that, but I can’t stop myself from doubting.” Weiss hugged herself and closed her eyes to fight back the tears she felt were coming.

Blake looked at her friend, trying to find a way to make her feel better. She was never really good at that, but she wanted to try to do her best for Weiss. After thinking more about it, she finally got an idea. She got closer to Weiss and took her hands in hers. “Don’t open your eyes and trust me.” She slowly led her next to the bed.

Weiss felt confused by Blake’s actions, but decided to trust her and see what would happen.

Blake slowly sat down on the bed, enjoying the feeling of holding Weiss’ hand. Their coldness didn’t make her think of sickness anymore, she was now finding it reassuring, associating it with her dear friend. Her right hand left Weiss’ for an instant so that she could remove her bow. She took the hand back and brought both of them near her head. “Please be careful, they’re pretty sensitive.”

Hearing that, Weiss tried to stop herself from blushing and her imagination from going wild, not helped by the book she was reading not an hour before. She felt Blake’s hands trembling slightly as she guided her and tried to guess what she was trying to do.

Blake took a deep breath and delicately put Weiss’ hands on her cat ears.

Weiss felt the soft and warm fur under her fingers and opened her eyes in surprise. “Blake?”

“I’m pretty sure that, no matter what I say, you will still doubt me. To be honest, it hurts a little, but I believe you when you say it’s not on purpose. So I decided to not only tell you but also show you.” Blake looked straight into Weiss’ eyes. “Weiss, I consider you one of my best friend and I trust you enough to let you touch my ears.”

Blake’s approach lacked subtlety, she was aware of that, but she was doing it on purpose, so that Weiss could not interpret it as her pretending to be her friend for personal gain. She felt Weiss’ hands shake on her head, and heard her breath grow quicker and deeper. Blake reached around the small girl waist and pulled her.

Weiss didn’t resist and found herself seated on Blake’s knees. She looked at the amber eyes watching her with care, purple eye shadow peeking at their corners. She looked at the thin lips forming a soft smile, trying to soothe her. She looked at Blake Belladonna, and understood she was in love. 

She leaned near Blake’s ear and tried to convey her feelings, only to be stopped by the last rational part of her brain. It wasn’t the time or the place, she would have to work on creating better circumstances for her confession. Instead, she buried her face in Blake’s shoulder and muttered a small “Thank you”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you liked this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story. 
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	9. Encounters in Vale

If it had been possible, Weiss would have stayed in Blake’s arms for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, it was not. They said they would be going to Vale, and the Schnee always keep their words. Usually, it was because they turned it in a way that benefited them, but Weiss refused to play this game with her friends. She tried to stand up and felt that Blake was still holding her.

“Are you feeling better?” Blake was looking at Weiss, trying to determine if her words had helped.

“I do, thanks to you.” In her position, Weiss wanted nothing more than to put her arms around Blake’s neck and kiss her, but she knew it wouldn’t be welcome and stopped herself from doing it. She raised her eyes to try and think of something else, her gaze falling on the top of Blake’s head. “They’re so cute.” She raised her hand and was halfway through scratching the cat ears in front of her when she stopped, not sure if it was okay.

“Go on.”

Encouraged by Blake, she resumed her movement. At first, her hand was uncertain, not wanting to hurt the soft appendages, but she quickly grew more confident. She started by slowly tracing the contour, feeling the soft fur under her fingertips. She reached the base of the ear, where it met the black hair, and caressed her softly as cats usually liked. She looked at Blake, curious as to whether she enjoyed it or not, and was met by a surprising sight. Blake had closed her eyes and a radiant smile had appeared on her face, enjoying the moment to the fullest.

Not wanting to take advantage of Blake’s generosity, Weiss stopped caressing the wonderful ears that were just in front of her and tried standing up once more, but Blake was still holding her. There was something else she wanted to say.

“I do consider you a friend, and I’m sure it’s the same for Ruby and Yang. I don’t think Ruby would be able to lie about liking someone for so long. She says you’re her best friend, and I have no doubt she means it.” Weiss didn’t say anything, listening to what Blake had to say. She already knew that about Ruby, but hearing someone else say it made her very happy. “As for Yang… don’t tell her I said that to you, ok?” Weiss nodded. “A few days after you learned that I’m a Faunus, we were talking about you and why you reacted like you did. I was still a little angry at you, but since you had been nice to me when you found me, I told her what I knew about the relationship between your family and the White Fang as objectively as I could. I think I expected her to side with me, to agree that you overreacted.” Blake had a small laugh at herself. “The first thing she said was ‘Poor Weiss’.” 

Surprise could be seen on Weiss’ face. It was not the reaction she would have expected from Yang either. 

“I’m not proud of it, but I got upset when she said that. I told her that what I had gone through was not any easier than what you did, and that you at least always had enough to eat. Then she looked at me and said that it was not a competition and that she could care for the both of us. I felt really stupid after she said that.” Blake looked away, still embarrassed of her reaction at the time.

Weiss put her hand back on Blake’s head, trying to comfort her. “We all do stupid things sometime, don’t worry.

Blake smiled at Weiss in thanks and remembered she was the one supposed to be comforting her. “Anyway, she cares a lot about you, and I think that’s why she acts so flirty with you, she is just trying to show she is your friend.”

“That’s a weird way to show friendship. And she is like that with everyone.” Weiss spoke before being able to stop herself. She knew that Blake was right, but a little voice in the back of her mind told her that it was not the case.

Blake shrugged. “You’re not the easiest person to get close to, I guess she just does what she feel is right. And she isn’t like that with everyone. Have you seen her flirt with Pyrrha, or Ren? She only does that with people she is close to, and she is always careful to not go too far. All this time, has she ever gotten too close to you or touched you?”

Weiss was staring at Blake’s amber eyes. “She… No, never.”

“Because she doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Blake didn’t know if Yang was doing it consciously or not, but it didn’t really matter. “We’re all your friends, and I’ll tell you as many time as I need.” Blake put her head on Weiss’ chest, getting closer to the heiress.

Weiss was grateful for Blake’s effort. She knew it wouldn’t be immediate, but she would truly believe they were friends one day. Remembering they had planned to go out, Weiss tried to get up for the third time, only to be stopped by Blake’s arms once again.

“Are you going to let me go?”

“Do you want me to?”

‘Please never let me go’ was the first thing that went through Weiss’ mind, but the corniness almost made her want to hit herself. “Didn’t you want to go to a certain bookstore?”

Blake’s eyes lit up at the mention of the store and she reluctantly let go of Weiss. “Fine, let’s go.”

* * *

The trip to Vale went without a hitch for the two huntresses-in-training. Since the majority of the students were home, they had the airship for themselves and got to enjoy the peace for just a little longer.

Vale itself was pretty calm since it was a weekday. A few building had started to decorate for the Vytal festival, but the construction of the biggest displays had not yet began.

They slowly started walking into the city, looking at the different stores when they heard someone call them.

“Why are two pretty ladies like you alone?”

Blake turned toward the voice with a hand on the hilt of Gambol Shroud while Weiss was getting ready to glyph the impudent into the sea. Blake was used to dealing with it given the places she had lived in and knew a blade under the throat was very convincing, while Weiss didn’t want anyone to ruin her time with Blake. They might get an earful from Ms. Goodwitch if she heard about it, but they would have peace for the time being.

The two girls felt a little stupid to have reacted that strongly when they saw that the person who called them was a blue haired guy with a red jacket, closely followed by a blond Faunus that had his shirt open.

Neptune put his hands in front of him. “It was just a joke, please don’t hurt me.”

Weiss rolled her eyes before smiling a little. “How are you two doing? We haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Since we’re not Beacon’s students, we didn’t get a break and are still on our mission of shadowing a crime specialist.”

Blake looked at Sun, who had gotten close to her. “So, are you working right now?”

“Yes, but we can’t tell you on what. It’s a… secret mission.” Blake could hear in his voice how proud he was to be able to say that.

Seeing that Sun was starting to flirt with Blake, Neptune put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Come on dude, we still have work to do. Let’s leave them alone.” Neptune waved at the two girls with a smile straight from a toothpaste ad. “See you later.” He dragged Sun behind him, who would have preferred to spend more time with Blake than go back to work.

Blake waved back and turned to Weiss. “You really don’t find them attractive?” She knew the Weiss was into girls, but she wondered if she felt anything for boys or not. She did not want to make her uncomfortable by starting to talk about boys if she didn’t like them.

Weiss shrugged. “Not really. I can tell that they fall in the ‘pretty boy’ category for people who likes them, but it doesn’t do anything for me.” Weiss grinned at Blake. ”If you want to talk about how sexy Sun is, don’t stop for me, but I won’t share your enthusiasm.” Weiss felt her heart ache as she said that. She had talked without thinking and realized that she hated the idea of Blake and Sun being together. She scolded herself. Blake was free to choose whoever she wanted and she didn’t have the right to say anything, she still hadn’t told her how she felt after all.

Blake frowned. Ever since the dance, Sun had been trying to get closer to her, flirting with her and sending what he thought were subtle messages. She didn’t dislike the attention, but she couldn’t see herself in a relationship with him and hadn’t found a way to tell him yet, as she didn’t want to hurt him and lose his friendship. “I… won’t, don’t worry.” The image of the monkey Faunus appeared in Blake’s mind. “But those abs…”

“I’d prefer a nice pair of b—” Weiss interrupted herself, her face a deep crimson. She put her hood on, trying to hide her face.

“Did I almost hear Weiss Schnee say that she would like a nice pair of boobs?” Blake wore a big smile on her face, half for teasing Weiss and the other because she enjoyed seeing the heiress let herself go and be more comfortable with her.

“I was not. Shut up.” Weiss pulled on her hood a little harder, desperately trying to conceal her face even more.

Usually, Blake would have continued to make fun of her friend, but she felt Weiss wouldn’t want her doing it in public.

Weiss removed her hood as they were walking toward Vale’s center when they passed a store that had all kinds of product for women, from makeup to perfume, even accessories. Blake slowed down and stopped in front of the window. She liked makeup a lot but never owned any, except for her eye shadow, and she didn’t want to bother Weiss if all she was going to do was look and not buy anything.

Weiss saw that Blake wanted to enter the store but hesitated and got close to her. “You want to go in?”

Blake looked at Weiss, surprised to see her so close. “N—No, it’s okay…”

Her lie did not fool Weiss, who took her by the arm and entered the store. “Come on, you’re dying to enter.”

She was right, so Blake let Weiss take her inside the store. Once inside, the first thing she noticed was the smell. The part of the store where the perfumes were was not far from the entrance, and the combination of all of them was overwhelming for Blake’s sense of smell. She put a hand on her nose and mouth, trying to protect herself from the stench. She grabbed Weiss and went deeper into the store.

“Blake, what is happening?” The stopped near the nail polish aisle.

“Sorry, the smell of perfumes was a little too much for me.”

Weiss remembered what she recently learned about Faunus and their sense of smell. “Wait for me here, I have an idea.” She left Blake and went back the way they came, walking quickly.

Blake was a little confused by her friend’s actions and looked at the products around her, waiting for Weiss to come back.

After only a few minutes, Weiss was back with a smile on her face. “What do you think?” She held a piece of paper in front of Blake.

Blake recognized the papers that were used to test perfumes and leaned to smell to one Weiss as holding. It reminded her of the forest where she used to play when she was younger, making her nostalgic of easier times. “It’s really nice, but I’m not sure it fits you.”

“Or course not, it’s for you.”

“What? No, I can’t—” Blake was interrupted by Weiss putting a finger on her mouth.

Weiss voice’s was low so as not to be overheard. “You said it yourself, not wearing perfume can…” Weiss looked at Blake’s bow, “cause some problems. As your teammate, I will do what I can to help you.” Weiss removed her finger from Blake’s lips and the Faunus sighed, resigned. Weiss was right, at least she wouldn’t have to avoid every animal in fear that one of them had a thing against cats and outed her as a Faunus. “Good. I’ll go pick a bottle.” Weiss was happy to have found a perfume Blake liked on the first try.

Once she got back, she saw that Blake was looking at the darker shades of nail polish. “See anything you like?”

“I like that one.” Blake pointed at a bottle of black nail polish. “But the price…” The price tag next to it was showing a number that, while not exorbitant, was completely out of Blake’s budget.

Weiss took a bottle from the display and went to pay for it and the perfume. “Don’t worry, it’s a gift.”

Blake put herself in front of Weiss. “It’s okay, I don’t need it that much, don’t worry.” She tried to stop her, being embarrassed, and maybe a little ashamed, that Weiss was paying for all of that. 

Weiss didn’t understand what the problem was, but she knew she wasn’t doing that just to show off her money. “Blake, in the last few days, you’ve been there for me, listening to me talk about all of my problems. I just want to thank you.”

Blake was surprised at Weiss reaction, she didn’t expect it to be that important to her. She moved aside, letting her pass. She didn’t want her friends to pay everything for her, but a little gift couldn’t hurt. And to be completely honest, she had been wanting to wear black nail polish for a while.

Once Weiss had paid, they left the store and Blake couldn’t stop smiling. Even if she was embarrassed to have Weiss pay for her, she was really happy to finally have something she had wanted for years. She couldn’t stop herself from throwing regular glances at the content of the bag and smiling a little more each time. She was about to thank Weiss when the scroll of the heiress rang. Blake saw her take her scroll out to look at the caller’s name, then alternating between looking at her and looking at the scroll. Blake understood that Weiss wanted some privacy and smiled to her. “There is something I forgot to look at. Don’t leave without me.” She then went back into the store, leaving Weiss with the person who called her.

Weiss looked at Blake go and answered the phone once she was sure she wouldn’t be heard. “Hi Yang, how are you?”

“It’s nice to see Dad again. And you? I’m not interrupting anything I hope.” Weiss could hear in Yang’s voice that spending time with her family and relaxing had put her in a great mood.

“I’m in Vale with Blake, we decided to get some fresh air.”

“Ooh, you managed to go on a date with her? Well played.” Yang’s grin could be heard in her voice.

“It’s not a…” Weiss stopped to think about the situation she was in. It was her and the girl she loved, spending time together in town. “Uh. I guess it might be considered a date from a certain point of view.”

“It’s not ‘from a certain point of view’, it’s a date you dolt.” Weiss was about to comment about Yang’s use of ‘dolt’ but was interrupted. “So Blake’s into girls too?”

“She is. But please don’t tell anyone, I think she wouldn’t like it.” She didn’t talk about her suspicion that Blake liked Yang. If it was true, it was not her place to tell Yang.

Yang rolled her eyes, even if Weiss couldn’t see her. “I know I like gossip, but that’s not the sort of things I would do to my best friend. Sometimes I wonder how you really see me.”

Weiss felt bad, realizing how she must have sounded. “I’m sorry Yang, that’s not what I meant. I was just thinking about Blake, I didn’t mean—“

“Don’t worry,” Yang’s voice was soft, showing that she was not angry, “I’m starting to know you. You should be careful though, not everyone will let you get away with it.”

“I’m a Schnee, I will get away with worse.” Weiss’ voice was a little sad. Because of her name, she was treated differently by most people. At least she didn’t have this problem with Yang. “So… What should I do know? How do I know of she likes me?”

Yang sighed. “Weiss.”

“Yes?”

“Stop. Overthinking. You’re not in class, there is no good or bad answers. Just have fun with her in Vale, and when you feel ready, tell her you love her and ask her to go out with you. Don’t try to show off or be someone you’re not, we’ve lived together for months, she will notice.” Yang thought that Weiss would be the type to try too hard to impress someone and decided to prevent it.

“I’ll… try.” Weiss was about to say goodbye to Yang when a question came to her mind. “Yang… Why are you helping me so much?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Because you’re my friend.” Weiss felt a small smile appear on her face as she remembered her earlier talk with Blake. “I have to go, I hear Dad and Ruby coming back. See you later.”

Weiss put her scroll back in her pocket and waited a few minutes before Blake came out of the shop.

“Sorry it took so long.” Blake’s hands were behind her back and she was looking a little nervous. She gathered some courage and held out a nicely wrapped little box in front of Weiss. “It’s not a lot, but it’s for you.”

Weiss took the little box, not knowing how to react. “Thank you. Can I… open it?”

Blake nodded, both apprehensive and excited to see Weiss’ reaction.

Weiss removed the wrapping and opened the box, revealing a stylized black cat on thin chain. A smile appeared on the heiress’ face and Blake could see in her eyes that she was very happy. She took the necklace from the box and put it around her neck, leaving it over her shirt, wanting to keep it in the open. She couldn’t wait to see how it went with her usual outfit. She gave a quick hug to Blake before talking. “Thank you so much, I love it.”

Blake blushed, embarrassed and happy to see how much Weiss seemed to appreciate her gift. “It’s nothing. You just paid for my perfume and makeup, and I never really thanked you for the magazine full of Dust cartridges during our last mission.”

“Well, you just offered me the best gift I ever had, so now we’re even.” Weiss had a little grin, showing that she was joking. She didn’t do any of that expecting something in return, but she appreciated the thought nonetheless. Thinking about it, it was probably the first time she liked a gift that much. Being a Schnee, she could have anything she wanted, as long as her father approved of it anyway, and she was regularly covered in gifts for different reason, be it her birthday or a business partner wanting to curry favors with her father. Some even tried to get her to agree to marry them when she was old enough, only backing off when her father threatened to cut all ties with their company if they didn’t stop immediately.

The two girls were making their ways to Vale’s center, with Weiss wondering if it would unwelcome of her to take Blake’s hand in hers, when two girls started walking toward them, one of them waving at them.  
The girl waving at them had light blond hair in a long braid, fair skin and was wearing a white silk dress with gold embroidery and sandals of the same color. She was wearing gold rings, gold necklaces and gold bracelets. Everything about her was telling of how rich she was.

The other girl didn’t seem has happy to see Weiss. She had short brown hair and was not as ostentatious as her friend. She was wearing a black crop top and jeans shorts with sneakers, showing a lot of tanned skin and a toned body, clearly belonging to someone who trained a lot. Unlike her friend, her attire gave more of an athletic vibe than a rich girl one, but the manicured hands, carefully applied makeup and the high quality earrings all showed that she had no worries about money.

Blake guessed that they knew Weiss from the parties she talked about and had recognized her from afar, probably with her hair.

Once the two rich girls arrived next to the huntresses-in-training, the blond girl was the first to talk.

“Hi Weiss, it’s been a while.”

“Aure.” Weiss had tensed up when the girls had approached and her tone was cold, as she clearly didn’t enjoy seeing them here. “How are you?” 

The girl had a small giggle, planning to enjoy what was coming next. “Come on, Weiss, don’t be so cold toward your girlfriend.”

Weiss sighed. Of course. She looked at Blake and knew she would have a lot of explaining to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note about the OCs that have been appearing recently. This is not a story about them. Their importance may vary, but none of them will be a main character. I just wanted to make that clear, as some people tend to react pretty strongly to them, especially when it comes to relationships with characters from the show. Just remember what Weiss told Blake and ask yourself if she would lie to her. :)
> 
> Also, about the time between each chapters. Given the pace at which I write, I’d like to keep a little more than a week between chapters, maybe two. Well, as long as nothing happens to delay me anyway.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you liked this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	10. Calming tea

Weiss was getting angry. She had more than enough of Aure’s jokes and lies. “I already told, we’re not together and never were.”

“You say that after the night we spent together? I’m starting to think some rumors about you are true.” Aure got closer to Weiss and was about caress her face when Blake caught her and shook her head.

Aure’s friend moved quickly and tried to hit Blake’s hand to make her let go. Blake, being a lot quicker and better trained, pushed the blond girl in the path of her friend, who had to stop to catch her. After making sure that her friend was okay, she turned toward Weiss, angry. “I see you aren’t even able to train your doggie correctly.” Hearing that, Blake raised her eyebrows and put a hand on her weapon, ready to take it out before Weiss stopped her. She heard the heiress whisper ‘I’ll explain later.’ low enough that only a Faunus would be able to hear it.

“Umber, you better be careful of how you call my friend if you know what is good for you.” Blake was surprised by how menacing Weiss could sound. She never heard her use that tone at Beacon. “Well, I guess I’m partly at fault. Let me do the presentations.” Weiss’ voice was back to her normal tone, which made Blake wonder if the interactions she had with those people were always as artificial. “This is Blake Belladonna, she’s a fellow huntress-in-training and my teammate.” Weiss emphasized the ‘huntress’ part to stop any idea the rich girls could have had to start trouble. “Blake, these two girls are Aure and Umber. Aure’s family is in the gold business, as she so inconspicuously displays,” the blonde waved at Blake, making her numerous bracelets clink together, “and Umber’s family is composed of top-level athletes and also the owner of one of the best company in the prosthesis business, working closely with Atlas military.”

The two girls were looking at Blake, judging her. Umber was the first to talk, finding something she liked in the appearance of the Faunus. “If you ever lose a limb, come see me, you’ll make a killing as a prosthesis model.”

Blake looked at her with her usual neutral face. “That was unnecessarily creepy.” She turned toward Weiss, ignoring the girls looking at her. “Are they always like that?”

“They don’t get out a lot.”

Umber turned toward Weiss, angry. “Like you can talk, miss no-fun-allowed. Daddy finally found you a cure for your frigidity?”

“Don’t be mean Umber, I would be scared too if I was that small. Even an average-sized guy could break her in half.” Aure’s fake sympathy was obvious and Weiss’ expression didn’t change. The two girls were looking at Weiss from above, trying to use their height to their advantages.

Blake was impressed by Weiss’ calm when she answered. “At least I didn’t have to explain to my family why I brought more diseases home than our company brought money.” Two pairs of angry eyes were on Weiss after she said that and Aure’s smile disappeared. Blake guessed she struck a nerve, judging by the reaction of the girls.

Aure was the one to break the tension, her smile back on her face as quickly as it disappeared. “Let’s talk about something else. I like your new style, maybe a little… plain, but it fits you.” Aure pointed at Weiss’ new necklace. Since it was her family’s business, she had a good eye for the quality of accessories. “I also like the necklace, but I’m sure a girl like you could do a lot better. And why a cat? I’d say you’re more of a fox.”

Blake looked at the ground, her face red with shame. She knew Weiss deserved a lot better than a crappy necklace she bought for cheap at a generic accessory store, and now someone made fun of her because of it.

Blake’s reaction did not escape Weiss and only added to her anger. She turned toward Aure, doing her best to not lash out at her. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn’t mean to be extremely rude, but you better not do it again, or else you might get hurt.”

Umber did not like Weiss threatening her friend and got between Weiss and Aure. She looked straight into Weiss’ eyes, towering over her. “Pretty big talk for a small girl without a weapon.”

Weiss kept her composure as she answered. “I think you’re forgetting who you are talking to. I’m a Schnee, I don’t need a weapon for someone like you.” Accompanying her words, the Schnee crest flickered menacingly for a few seconds behind Weiss as she unconsciously displayed her Semblance. Weiss turned toward Blake, grabbed her hand and started walking away from the two girls. “We have to go. See you next time.”

As they leaved, they heard Umber talk to her friend. “I guess the rumors about her and her sister not having any emotion have some truth to them, her face didn’t change at all.”

Blake felt Weiss tighten her grip on her hand to the point it began to hurt but stayed silent. They stopped in front of a tea shop, where Weiss finally managed to calm herself. “I know you must have a lot of questions, might as well make ourselves comfortable. I think you like tea, right?” Weiss was not really a fan of tea and hoped she’ll manage to find something to drink, but for now she was just thinking of Blake.  
Blake nodded and the two girls entered the shop. The atmosphere of the shop was very calming, with a subtle aroma of tea in the air. A waiter approached them when they entered, asking if they wanted a sit or where just here to buy tea. He looked at their hands, still together, and lead them to their table when Weiss said they wanted to sit. It was a small table for two in the back of the shop, in a small alcove, which allowed them to have their privacy. The seat was a bench forming half a circle against the wall, allowing them to sit next to each other. That and the little switch used to call the waiter indicated that the table was probably to be used by couples who wanted to spend time together and be left alone. The waiter left them, explaining that they should use the switch when they were ready to order.

As the waiter leaved, Weiss finally realized how tight her grip on Blake’s hand was. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” The red marks on Blake’s skin made her feel guilty. She should have paid more attention to her.  
Blake dismissed her worries with a small smile. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. And you had a good reason to be angry.”

Weiss shook her head as she sat down. “It doesn’t allow me to hurt you.” Weiss put her hand on the marks she left, lightly caressing them. She got closer to Blake’s ear and her voice became a little deeper. “Next time, I’ll let you be rough with me.”

Blake looked at the girl next to her, her eyebrows raised in surprise, wondering if she did it on purpose since it was very different from how she usually acted. The small smile and the glint of amusement in the blue eyes of the girl told her that, yes, she knew exactly what she did. “Didn’t know you were into that. No wonder you like ‘Ninjas of Love’”. She was satisfied to see a small blush creep on her friend cheeks. Blake liked to see Weiss get flirtier, but she would have been a little sad to not be able to see her beautiful pale skin get tinged with red when she was teased. “Anyway, I have a few questions.”

“I thought so. Maybe we should order first?”

The two girls looked at all the different teas they could get, trying to make a choice. Blake went with a classic, black tea, while Weiss choose something a little different, white tea mixed with vanilla, hazelnut and white chocolate. She hoped she would like it more than pure tea, which she found tasted like hot water with an aftertaste of leaves.

They called the waiter and ordered, after which Blake ask her first question. “So, what’s the story between you and Aure? You said you were not together, was it a one-night thing?” Blake’s words were a little harsher than she intended, but the possibility of Weiss having lied to her about having no experience made her a little upset. She knew she wasn’t being reasonable, but it had comforted her a lot to learn that she wasn’t the only one without any romantic experience.

Weiss understood that Blake did not like the idea that she lied to her and did not hold her tone against her. “Blake, when I told you I never had been with anyone, I didn’t lie, and I have no interest in one-night stands. Aure was just trying to get at me, because she knows I hate it when she does that. Please, believe me.” Weiss took Blake’s left hand in her right, almost unconsciously. She didn’t mean to sound so desperate, but she did not want to lose Blake’s trust just because Aure wasn’t able to keep her mouth shut.

Blake shook her head and squeezed lightly the hand Weiss just used to take hers. “Don’t worry, I believe you, I just wanted to know why she did it. Was it really just to get at you? She did say you spent the night together.” Blake took advantage of the situation to avoid having to explain her reaction. She knew that explaining why she reacted like that would make her look like stupid and immature.

Weiss sighed. The moment she saw Aure waving at her, she realized there would have a lot of things to explain to Blake. “It was a few years ago, I was at a party and it was getting late, the time where most people have found a partner to spend the night with. I usually went near the adults at this time to listen to them, I was more comfortable hearing about politics than… well…”

Blake decided to try and help her a little. “You said there was a lot of making out at those parties.”

Weiss had a derisive snicker. “It went further than that…”

She was interrupted by the waiter who brought them their orders. He put a teacup and a teapot in front of each of them, and gave Blake a tea timer. Weiss looked at it with curiosity while the waiter gave advice to Blake about the brewing of her tea. The timer consisted of three hourglasses held together by two pieces of wood, beautifully engraved with the numbers three, four and five above the hourglasses. Each one contained a different amount of sand, all colored differently. She looked at the sand flow until Blake reminded her of her presence by clearing her throat. “Sorry.” Weiss cheeks were colored a light pink at being caught staring at hourglasses. “As I was saying, most of them went further than making out. As you may have noticed, they don’t consider sex taboo at all, for them, it’s a way to show their status. Girls like Aure whose family have an incredible amount of money and power are the ones choosing who they spent the night with first, and people with not as much prestige that weren’t picked had to go with whoever was left.”

Blake frowned. Hearing that made her uneasy and reminded her to much of the way the White Fang treated those who couldn’t fight, as inferiors. “That’s… awful.”

Weiss nodded. “I agree. Well, to be fair, Aure always managed to make it so that no one had to spend the night with someone they didn’t like. She is very good at manipulating people to get them to do what she wants, but at least she tried to make things tolerable for everyone. And she always picked me first to be with her every single time. I always refused, but I guess it’s a little flattering.” Weiss wouldn’t admit it, but she did like having Aure call her name every time when she could have ignored her.

Blake took back the hand she had let go when the waiter came and slowly caressed her with her thumb, trying to be comforting. If the only discussions about sex she had with people her age were those people saying she was frigid, it was no wonder she felt uncomfortable talking about it. “I guess we weren’t that far off about what was happening at those parties, except that you were being a nerd that listen to politics.” The small smile that appeared on Weiss’ lips made Blake feels good, knowing she managed to cheer her up, even if only a little. “You should drink, your tea will get cold.”

Weiss poured some tea in her cup with her free hand then took the cup and brought it to her mouth. She avoided drinking tea as much as she could and hoped she could at least avoid making a weird face. She took a sip of the drink and was pleasantly surprised. The taste of the vanilla and the sweetness of the chocolate hid the bitterness of the tea and she had no problem drinking it. “It’s really good.” Weiss’ mood improved a lot after drinking and she continued her explanation. “So, I was at one of those parties and it was getting late, but instead of going to listen to the adults, I went into an empty room. I… was not feeling good that day, I think it was a mix of being tired and a little depressed. I just wanted to be alone but Aure found me. I never found out why she was there, alone, but she sat next to me and gave me a hug.” Weiss had a little smile at the memory. “She didn’t say anything, she was just there for me. It’s very unusual for her, she never stops talking usually. You know, she is pretty nice when it’s just the two of us, she only is insufferable when there is someone she wants to show off to.”

Her tea having brewed long enough, Blake poured herself a cup with her free hand. She liked how convenient it was that their dominant hand was different. “Maybe she just wanted to help? Or maybe she didn’t feel good that day, like you?” Blake didn’t know Aure like Weiss’ did, but maybe she was just trying to be friendly and Weiss had a bias against her because they only met in a context she disliked.

“Maybe. But she must have felt better soon after that, because at next party everyone knew we ‘spent the night together’ and she was going around telling people we were together. She was joking, but most people took it seriously and she found it funnier to let them believe it. Getting those rumors to stop was not easy.”

“You managed to do it?” Blake took a sip of her tea, appreciating the higher quality than what was available at beacon.

“After breaking a few limbs, yes.” Blake looked at Weiss, wide-eyed. She did not expect her to be so violent. Maybe have her family send people to do it, but not her directly. Weiss sighed at the display of surprise. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s not like I went and ambushed them in a dark alley. Duels were commonplace between us, so I just fought against those that kept the rumor alive. Since I trained to become a huntress and they only trained because their family wanted them to, I had no problem beating them.”

Blake frowned, there was something strange with her story. “If those were duels, why did you break their limbs?”

“The duels were fought to Aura depletion, as a show of courage supposedly,” Weiss’ tone of voice left no doubt about her disdain for those who thought that putting themselves in danger for nothing was a proof of courage, “and some of them… well, they were pretty poor fighters for the most part. In two occasions, I misjudged how much Aura they had left, threw them with too much force and broke the arm of one of them and the leg of another.”

“You didn’t get into trouble? I can’t imagine that their parents didn’t say anything.”

Weiss shrugged. She understood that an outsider would find it strange, but she was used to it, having lived in this environment her entire life. “Getting hurt in a duel is expected, and it’s not like they can’t pay for very good doctors, they healed without any problems.” Weiss stopped to drink some tea and continued, realizing she had not been completely honest. “My family name might also have helped a little. Not many people would want to go after a Schnee. They could have challenged my father to a duel as retaliation, but it’s easier to say that your child was a little impetuous and that it was a good lesson.”

“Your father can fight? I never saw anything like that in the files the Whi— we had.” Blake scolded herself for almost slipping up and admitting she had been part of the White Fang in public. Being with Weiss made her lower her guard way too much.

“That’s because he can’t.” The look in Blake’s eyes told her that she wasn’t very convincing. “I know it doesn’t make sense said like that, but I don’t really want to talk about my family right now. I tell you someday, just… not right now.” Weiss didn’t want to start talking about the Schnee’s Semblance, especially since she’d probably have to talk about her own shortcomings.

Blake squeezed Weiss’ hand lightly. “I’ll wait when you’re ready, don’t worry. By the way, what did she mean by doggie? Did she notice…?”

Weiss shook her head. “I don’t think so, she wouldn’t have let us go so easily if she did. Can you imagine, Weiss Schnee, friend with a Faunus?”

“Yeah, how could a girl like her be friend with a filthy Faunus?” The words were out before Blake was able to stop them, and the pained expression on Weiss’ face made her regret them immediately. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, it just… hit a little too close to home.”

“I guess I could have expressed myself better. What I meant is that they would make a fuss out of it. The only interaction we—they have with Faunus is either the White Fang going after their family or hearing about it from the others. Not the best way to really get to know them.”

Blake tilted her head, intrigued. “Really? I thought Umber was one.”

“What makes you say that?”

Blake touched her nose, not wanting to say it out loud.

Weiss considered what Blake just said, trying to remember if Umber had expressed her views about Faunus. “Her family company does have a line of prosthesis for Faunus and they used Faunus for some of their demonstrations. It’s not enough to confirm they are Faunus in hiding, but it’s not impossible either.” She had to remember to look more into it later. “Anyway, you were asking me what doggies were. It’s a way to refer to the people they manipulated into doing what they want, some sort of servant.”

“What?” Blake’s tone was flat and her face showed no emotion. She didn’t know if she should be offended or laugh at the childishness of the name.

“Since they’re rich, they make a game of having people that do everything they want without having to pay them. They usually bring them at the parties and make contest to see who has managed to get the strongest or smartest or anything that come to their mind.”

“You say ‘they’, you didn’t take part in it?” While Weiss could seem the type of person who would enjoy having someone bow to her every whim, Blake knew she would get bored quickly. As much as she protested, she liked having her friends contradict her, tease her or just have fun with her without special treatment. Blake also knew that Weiss was very good at hiding her true feelings when she wanted, to fit with a group for example.

Weiss shook her head. “I find the practice disgusting and I usually went away when they started doing their stupid contest. Which has not helped with my reputation.”

Blake winced at the memory. “They weren’t nice.”

“That’s the way they interact, by being rude and trying to hurt each other. Coming to Beacon was such a breath of fresh air. And Aure has been horrible to you, badmouthing your gift.” Seeing the surprised expression on the face of the Faunus, she explained with a little smile. “I saw how you reacted to her comment, you probably thought that it was cheap and that she was right when she said I could get a much better necklace, right?”

“I—” Blake was unable to continue. Weiss was right after all.

“Do you know how many necklace I was offered during my life? More than I can count. Yet, I’m wearing yours, because I love it, because you gave it to me not out of obligation, but because you are my—my friend. And no matter how clichéd it sounds, it’s worth more to me than a very expensive one that I got because my last name is Schnee.”

Blake tightened her grip on Weiss’ hand slightly. Hearing that from her made her very happy.

The next few minutes were spent in silence as the two girls drank their tea, enjoying each other’s presence. Weiss finished her teapot first and decided to rest a little until Blake finished hers. She leaned against her friend, putting her head on her shoulder, and closed her eyes. For just an instant, she was able to forget everything about the parties and what happened with Aure and Umber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason this chapter took so long to come out is that it was pretty hard to write. I was trying to have Aure and Umber be at least a little interesting, and I hope I managed it. You judge. 
> 
> I’ll try to have the next update come out as quickly as usual, but I can’t guarantee anything since there as some changes at work and I need to see how it will work out.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you liked this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story.  
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed.
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	11. The bookstore

Blake was drinking her tea when she felt Weiss’ head on her shoulder. She looked at her and saw that she had closed her eyes and that her breathing had slowed down a little. _She was really tired, I should let her rest a little. A cat na— Dammit Yang. A little rest can’t hurt._ Despite understanding that Weiss needed rest, Blake was hoping it wouldn’t be too hard to wake her up. She really wanted to go to the bookstore, it had been so long. The smell of old books, the quiet of the store with only the sounds of the pages turning breaking it, the treasures hidden at the back of a shelf…

Blake realized that she had drifted off and finished her tea quickly before it got cold. She then started to think about how to wake up Weiss. Maybe she wouldn’t be as grumpy since it was the middle of the day, but she would rather avoid waking her up too suddenly. She thought about kissing her, like a prince waking up a princess in a fairytale, before realizing that kissing a girl that wasn’t her girlfriend while she slept was not really a good idea. She decided to just call her softly. “Weiss? Time to wake up.”

The only result was Weiss nuzzling a little closer to her. “A little longer…”

Blake had to use all of her willpower to not let her do as she wished. “You’ll have a hard time falling asleep tonight.” 

“I always have a hard time falling asleep.” Despite saying that, it was enough to get Weiss to slowly open her eyes and get off Blake’s shoulder. “You just want to go to the bookstore.” Even half-asleep, she was not blind as to why Blake insisted that much.

“Maybe, but I also care about you, you know? Not enough sleep is bad for you.”

“Wha—I…” Weiss wasn’t sure how to answer. She did not expect Blake to care about that, and while she was not fond of having someone telling her what to do, she was touched that someone else than her sister cared about her well-being. “It’s your fault I have a book that didn’t let me put it down anyway.”

Blake rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’m such a monster.” She stood up, letting Weiss’ hand go. She walked around the table, getting next to Weiss and offering her a hand to help her get up. “Princess.”

Weiss took the hand and got up. “Thank you.” People calling her princess usually did it to insult her, even Blake had done it, but this time felt different, affectionate. She liked it. She grabbed Blake’s arm. “Onward, my knight.” 

The small giggle that Weiss let out brought a smile to Blake’s face as she rolled her eyes. “Dork.”

The two girls went to the front of the store to pay, their arms still linked. “Was everything alright?” The person at the register was an old man, probably the owner.

“It was lovely, thank you. The tea was delicious and the table was really quiet. It’s a great place to relax.”

The shopkeeper continued to talk as he rang them up, showing years of practice. “Such praise coming from you is appreciated, young lady. I hope you and your girlfriend have a nice day. She seems like a fine huntress.”

Weiss was so surprised that she didn’t correct him as they left. Once outside, she let Blake’s arm go and turned toward her. “I’m sorry, I should have corrected him.”

“It’s not a problem.” Since he didn’t mean any harm, Blake didn’t really care if the owner mistook them for a couple.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“Weiss, someone mistaking us for a couple is not a big deal.”

“But—”

“Weiss,” Blake interrupted her, remembering how she reacted when they kissed by accident. “What’s the problem?” There was something about the way Weiss acted this time and the last that made Blake think that Weiss had a problem with being in a relationship, but she had no idea if it was because of her or not.

“I…” Weiss wanted to explain, she wanted to let everything out, but she couldn’t. Not here, not now. “I know I already said that earlier, but I need some time.”

Blake got closer to her friend, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Take as much time as you need, I’ll be there.” She looked around, trying to find something to change the subject. She saw a tattoo studio and started to imagine Weiss’ back, naked and covered with a tattoo that included her family crest and Dust crystals, like some of the princesses in her books. “I think you’d look good with a tattoo.”

Weiss followed Blake’s gaze and saw the studio. “You know, one of my family tradition was to have the Schnee crest tattooed somewhere using Dust. The main branch of the family had it on its back, as big as possible, and for the others, the size varied depending on how far removed they were from the main branch. Of course, you only got it if you had the Glyph Semblance.”

Blake suddenly remembered some of the rumors she heard in the White Fang. “Wait, the Schnee’s really have a hereditary Semblance?” Hereditary Semblances were very rare, and the advantages of being able to share your experiences with your children gave them a strong head start to mastering it. It was no wonder the Schnee’s were still here with so many people hating them if they had the same Semblance for multiple generations.

“We don’t advertise it, but we do have one. Well, it’s only three of us now.” Blake wondered what were Weiss’ father’s thoughts about Weiss’ disinterest in men and the fact she probably wouldn’t have a child. “When he saw how good my sister and I were at fighting, my father decided to let us choose if we wanted to have the Schnee’s crest tattooed.”

Blake remembered what she knew about Winter Schnee. A primary target for elimination, and one of the few people they were supposed to actively avoid. She had joined the military rather than becoming a huntress or going to work for the Schnee Dust Company, but she had quickly risen through the ranks to become General Ironwood’s right hand and becoming a specialist, attesting that her skills were on par with that of a huntsman. “Did you accept?” Blake thought that she would have no objections if she had to look for a tattoo on Weiss’ body herself. She shook her head, trying to chase the thought.

“No. While the boost in power would be nice, I’m not sure I want to have the Schnee crest permanently engraved on my back given the current state of the company.” Weiss stopped for a moment, looking at Blake. “Thinking about it, it probably would have made it harder for us to become friend.”

“The Schnee heiress parading with her family’s crest on her back? I don’t think it would have gone well.”

The two girls laughed and resumed their walk to the bookstore. They slowed down a few times to look at a store or another, but didn’t stop since the sky had started to get cloudy. When they got close to the part of town were the store was located, Weiss put on her hood to hide her hair.

She looked around, curious to see how a place with mostly Faunus looked like since it was her first going to one. Blake did not miss her reaction. “Looking for something?”

“No, it’s just that I thought it would be… I don’t know, not as normal?” Weiss had always heard that Faunus neighborhoods were dirty and ugly and filled with crime. She knew it was exaggerated, but she still expected it to be a little more run-down. 

The buildings around them were no different from the ones in Vale’s center, the only major change was that there were a lot more people around them with animal traits, be it ears, tails, horns or others that could be easily concealed. “Not all Faunus live in slums. Some do, but I’m not bringing you there anytime soon.” Blake knew they could defend themselves, but bringing Weiss Schnee to a slum would be looking for trouble. She extended a hand toward the heiress. “Let’s not get separated.” There was no real risk, but why take a chance? And Blake liked holding Weiss’ hand and feeling her close to her.

Weiss took the hand and the two girls made their way to the bookstore.

* * *

If Blake hadn’t been here with her, Weiss would never have found the store. It was rather unassuming, in the middle of a row of other stores with far more eye-catching displays. The heiress let Blake guide her toward the store, ignoring the others. The Faunus had not let her hand go since she took it and Weiss had let her show the way, amused by the eagerness that was showing on her friend’s face.

Blake opened the door of the shop and entered, followed closely by Weiss. The walls covered by bookshelf filled to the brim, boxes of books next to them that couldn’t be stored anywhere else and the overpowering smell of old books in the air all gave the feeling of an old bookstore where one could find anything as long as they had the time to look for it.

Weiss looked for the shopkeeper, imagining an old man with thick glasses. She was surprised to find a young man in a blue shirt behind the register, reading a book and the tip of what looked like a lion’s tail poking over the counter. He looked at them when he heard them enter the store, then smiled and waved at Blake when he recognized her before going back to his book.

Weiss grinned at her friend. “So that’s why you like this shop so much.” Her voice was low, not wanting to be overheard.

Blake frowned. “You know I’m not attracted to every guy we come across, right?”

“He is blond, what I suppose could be described as good-looking and reading a book.” Weiss shrugged. She just had wanted to tease Blake a little. “I thought he would be your type.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong.” Blake’s cheeks were a little red as she answered. “But still…” Her voice disappeared as she tried and failed to find a comeback. She turned and went to look at the books without another word.

Weiss took a few seconds to appreciate being able to tease and have fun with her friend without feeling uncomfortable. Talking with Blake felt so… natural, liberating. She could be honest with herself and say what she wanted to say without it being used to make fun of her or blackmail her. 

She was wandering in the shop, looking at the books when one of them caught her eye. It was lying open on a table, the illustration of a very detailed dress on one of the pages. Weiss took the book and started browsing through the pages. The book was about fashion in Remnant at different times and locations, including everyday clothes, formal outfits and even styles that were mostly present in fiction and had only been worn by very few people. Every style described was accompanied by drawings or photographs of the outfit, making for a big and heavy book. Weiss lost herself in the illustrations and descriptions of the clothes before remembering where she was. She decided to buy the book, in part because it could possibly serve as reference for some photographs with Velvet, but mostly because of her own interest. She started to walk through the shop in search of Blake.

She found her in a corner, books with very colorful and detailed covers in hands and trying to decide which one to buy. “Having a hard time choosing?”

Blake nodded. “I was planning on getting those two, but I realized I didn’t have enough for both.” She left out the part where she didn’t have the money because she bought the necklace for Weiss. Her money problems were hers only.

“Do you want me to help?”

“You already paid for the nail polish, I can’t accept.”

“Then you’ll pay me back when we get paid for our mission, I’m just lending it to you so you don’t have to come back later.”

Blake thought about it. She didn’t like using someone else’s money, but Weiss was being so nice with her it would be ungrateful to refuse, especially since she would pay her back. And she really wanted those books. She nodded once, accepting the offer. “You found something?”

“I did. It’s a book on the fashions of Remnant.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you were into fashion.”

“Not that much, I just like pretty clothes, and the illustrations of the book are really good. And I thought it might give us some ideas for… you know.”

“Good idea. We could look at it together back at the dorm.” Blake imagined herself and Weiss, side-by-side in a bed, reading the book and hoped it wasn’t going too far for Weiss.

Weiss smiled at the proposition. “I’d love too. Come on, let’s go pay for those.”

When he saw the two girls arrive, the cashier put down his book and smiled at them. “I see you brought a friend this time.”

Blake was a regular here and she often talked with him. “It’s not like I can keep such a wonderful place a secret. This is Weiss, my friend and teammate. Weiss, this is Ceruleo, the owner of the store.”

“Nice to meet you.” Ceruleo found strange that the girl kept her hood on inside, but decided not to pry. Blake was a good customer and if she said she was a friend, he would trust her.

“Same.” Weiss avoided looking at him directly. She would rather have him think she was shy than find out who she was.

He took the books and started ringing them up while talking with Blake. “Is she the partner you said you had to hide some books from?”

“No, it’s the other two. One wouldn’t stop making fun of me and the other is her younger sister.”

Ceruleo winced. “Oh, yeah, I can see the problem.” He finished ringing the books. “How would you like to pay?”

Weiss took out her card. “I’ll pay for both of us.” She gave him the card and realized too late that her name was written on it. She saw him look at it, look at her and put the card in the reader like nothing happened. She entered her code and he gave the card back with the books.

“We usually give paper bags, but since it started raining, I gave you some plastic ones.” He winked at them. “Wouldn’t want the books to be damaged.”

“Rain?” Blake looked at Weiss, only to see her as surprised as her.

“How much time did we spend here?” Weiss knew that she had spent some time engrossed in her book, but surely it hadn’t been that much time.

The answer came from Ceruleo. “You’ve been here a couple of hours, reading. I didn’t say anything since there weren’t a lot of people. 

The two girls looked outside and saw that it was getting progressively darker and that the rain was falling pretty hard. 

Blake sighed. “We’re going to have to run.” She looked at Weiss realizing something. “You better be careful.”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss saw Blake point at her chest and looked down. A white shirt. “Drat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you liked this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story. 
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	12. Thunderstorm

Two girls were running in the streets of Vale, trying to escape to rain and get to the airfield. Occasionally, a white light flickered under Weiss’ feet, helping her keep up with Blake. She could use them more and get out of the rain faster, but she didn’t want to leave her friend behind.

They finally reached the airship, breathing heavily and their clothes completely soaked. Looking around, they saw that they weren’t the only students. A dozen people were in the airship, dressed in Beacon’s uniform or in their own clothes, with one point in common, they all had been caught in the rain. Even those that had umbrellas with them were not spared because of the wind. One of them talked to them as the doors closed behind them. “You’re lucky, this is one of the last airship to Beacon, the rain and wind are getting worse and they soon won’t be able to fly.” Blake nodded a thanks before making Weiss sit at one of the extremities of the airship then sitting herself between her friend and the other people in the ship, hiding her.

“What are you doing?” Weiss was a little irritated by Blake’s actions, as she did not understand what was going on.

Blake threw a little smile her way, trying to get her to lighten up. “Well, a knight should protect the dignity of her princess, don’t you think?” She threw a quick glance at Weiss’ chest, who’s face took a pretty shade of red when she realized that her bra was showing through her shirt.

Weiss zipped up her hoodie, mumbling a ‘thank you’. She had hoped she wouldn’t have to do it as she was feeling even colder now with the fabric pressed against her skin, but at least she wasn’t showing her underwear to every person on board. Suddenly, Weiss felt very tired, due to the run through Vale and her lack of sleep. “Blake, can I… Can I sleep on your shoulder? I’m feeling tired.”

Blake looked at her friend. Of course she had no problem, she let her do it earlier, but seeing Weiss having difficulties keeping her eyes open, she refrained from commenting and smiled. “Get some rest, I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Weiss put her head on Blake’s shoulder, closed her eyes, and fell asleep almost immediately. For her, the wait for the last students until the pilot had to go and the flight to Beacon all passed in an instant. She opened her eyes when Blake called her as they were about to land. “Weiss, we’re here.” 

Weiss was starting to get used to Blake’s voice waking her up. Her sleep being interrupted had never felt so pleasant. She opened her eyes and the two girls stood up, getting reading to disembark. The heiress was rubbing her arms, trying to stop herself from shaking. She felt Blake’s hands joining hers, trying to help her warm-up.

“Can’t have the ice queen catch a cold,” said Blake jokingly.

Weiss frowned at the nickname. “Don’t…” Trying to get angry, she realized how tired she was. But she didn’t want Blake to call her an ice queen. “Don’t call me that!” Fighting the fatigue, her voice came out louder than she planned.

Blake was surprised by the outburst. “W—What?” She didn’t want to upset Weiss, but she was not about to let her talk to her like that. She was about to answer back when she felt a cold hand grab hers.

“Let’s go.”

Weiss looked like she felt bad for having lost her temper, so Blake decided to let her take the lead. They leaved the airship and ran all the way to the buildings, as the rain and wind had grown even stronger since they left Vale.

When they finally arrived to their room, they were even more soaked than before, even if they could have sworn it wasn’t possible.

Blake was shaking now that the water had had the time to seep into her clothes. “We’d better take a hot shower quickly before we catch a cold.”

“You can go first. The… ice queen can wait.”

Blake felt bad hearing the bitterness in Weiss’ voice. “Weiss, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, but I think we should take our showers before talking about.”

Weiss sighed. “You’re right. Go take your shower, I’ll go after you.”

Blake could see that Weiss was trying to suppress her shaking, hoping the Faunus wouldn’t see how cold she felt. Blake had an idea, and she hoped it wouldn’t scare Weiss away. “You know… maybe we could go together. We’re completely soaked, and the sooner we warm-up the better.”

Weiss did like the idea of taking her shower with Blake a lot, but she wasn’t sure if she was comfortable being seen naked. Even in the locker room, she always did her best to stay in only her underwear as little as possible. She was debating with herself when she was interrupted by a flash of light and a loud noise. The rain had turned into a thunder storm, and it was very close.

“I’m glad we managed to get inside before it really started. Blake?” Weiss looked at her teammate that had become completely stiff after hearing thunder, the grip in the heiress hand getting tighter. “Blake, are you alright? Blake?” Weiss was getting worried seeing Blake’s reaction. Her eyes were wide open, she was shaking, and she could see that her ears were trying to… do something but were held by the bow.

Blake’s free hand grabbed Weiss arm, not letting her move too far. “Please, don’t leave.”

Hearing in her voice that she was on the verge of tears, Weiss made her decision. “Come on, let’s go take that shower.” She guided Blake to the bathroom after making sure the door of the dorm was closed, and started to remove her wet clothes. 

Once her shirt, hoodie and skirt were on the floor, Weiss started to feel a little better. She was still cold, but at least there was no wet fabric against her skin. Her hair was still in a ponytail, as she was in no hurry to have it cling everywhere until she dried it. She saw that Blake had not moved and she was starting to get embarrassed to be the only one to undress. “You know that you’re supposed to take off your clothes to shower, right?”

Blake shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. “Right sorry.” She managed to put the thought of the storm raging outside in the back of her mind, knowing that it would come back in full force the next time she would hear thunder. She started undressing herself, removing her vest and under shirt, letting them fall on the floor next to Weiss’ clothes. They were quickly joined by her shorts and stockings while the Heiress was removing her underwear. Blake was about to remove hers when she made the mistake—not that she would consider it one—to look at Weiss. 

She stopped moving, admiring the flawless white skin, the slender legs, toned by years of training, the perfectly shaped butt, usually hidden behind skirts and dresses. Her gaze continued going up, leading her to the heiress’ chest. She was not as well-endowed as Yang, but Blake realized she liked smaller chests, especially since it wasn’t as noticeable with Weiss’ smaller build. Especially when she wasn’t wearing her combat outfit, which made her chest look smaller. At least it showed her legs. Her beautiful, beautiful legs… 

Weiss removed her tiara, letting her white hair cascade around her, captivating Blake even more. She noticed that the Faunus had stopped moving, looking at her. “Like what you see?” She hid her embarrassment behind flirting. If they were to take a shower together, she would be seen naked. Better get used to it.

“You… you’re beautiful.”

Weiss smiled at the compliment. “Thank you, you’re—”

She was interrupted by the thunder and Blake’s scream that followed it. Seeing the fear in the amber eyes and the shaking of Blake’s body, Weiss’ concern was growing. “Blake, are you okay?”

“I’m f—fine.”

Weiss saw through the lie easily and grabbed her friend’s hand. “You’re not. Are you scared of thunder?”

Blake hung her head. “It’s stupid, isn’t it? A huntress scared of lightning.”

Weiss frowned and hugged Blake. “No it’s not. You know what? Let’s take that shower and we’ll talk more about it later.” Weiss let go of Blake and blushed when she remembered their respective state of undress. “I’m starting the shower. Hurry up and join me.” She went into the shower and started it, hoping to blame the redness of her cheeks on the hot water. She heard Blake remove her underwear and the full realization of what was about to happen hit her. She was about to take a shower with the girl she liked. The incredibly beautiful, naked girl she was in love with. It was also the first time someone other than her sister saw her naked, and even that had been years ago. She knew that no one would have called her ugly but, being in the same team as Yang, she had been a little anxious to see Blake’s reaction. Weiss also couldn’t stop squealing interiorly remembering the girl she loved saying she was beautiful. She was starting to feel warm, and not only because of the hot water. 

She then remembered why they were together in the first place. Blake seemed afraid of thunder given her reaction and she had decided to go with her to make sure she didn’t hurt herself if lightning decided to strike during her shower. The image of Blake, eyes wide open and shaking in fear helped her focus on her goal.

Weiss was quickly joined by Blake, still shaking from the thunder. They showered quickly, Weiss stopping Blake from slipping in the shower each time lightning stroke nearby as she tensed up.

They exited the shower, clean and warm, even if not as relaxed as Weiss had hoped, and decided to dress up for the night, not intending to leave the room. Blake decided to not put her bow back on. For once, she wouldn’t have to dry her ears quickly to hide them before going back to the room.

Weiss sat on the floor, her back against her bed, and invited Blake to sit next to her. Blake accepted the invitation and sat down close to Weiss. So close the heiress could feel the shaking.

“You want to talk about it?”

Blake took a deep breath. “When I was younger, we didn’t live in the best conditions. It was usually an abandoned building, and we were lucky if it didn’t have too much holes. We didn’t stay in the same place for long, so even when we finally found some place that wasn’t too bad, we could be in a place barely better than a cardboard box the next day. Wind was bad, rain was worse, thunderstorm… we’ve had a few buildings fall down on our heads during thunderstorms. Being woken up during the night, completely soaked, one of my friend crushed by a part of the house and having to relocate immediately is… awful, some of the worse memories I have of the White Fang. That’s why I—I’m afraid of thunder.” Tears were starting to form at the corner of her eyes and she had difficulties finishing her sentences. “I know… I know it’s stupid b—but being caught in the rain and everything… I just… I don’t…” Blake was unable to finish, her face red with shame. “I’m so ridiculous.”

“You’re not.” Weiss took Blake’s hand in hers, slowly caressing it with her thumb. After a moment of silence, she continued “I’m… afraid to be left alone. By Yang, by Ruby. By you. What will happen to team RWBY when we graduate? Will we stay together? Or will everyone go their separate way? I don’t want that!” Weiss’ voice was louder than she intended, letting her emotions control her for a moment. She looked at Blake, a sad little smile on her face. “We’re all scared of something, it doesn’t always make sense.”

Blake took Weiss in her arm, holding slightly tighter when lightning struck nearby. “Then we’ll have to get over those stupid fears together.”

The two girls stayed like that a few moments, before the atmosphere was broken by the sound of a stomach rumbling, causing them to separate.

Blake giggled. “I guess even you get hungry, prin…” She stopped herself, remembering Weiss’ reaction from earlier.

“You—You can keep calling me princess, you know.” Weiss liked it when Blake used that nickname. “It’s just ‘Ice queen’ I don’t like. It makes it sounds like I have no feelings, like I’m a heartless woman who don’t care about anyone.”

Blake looked down, apologetic. “I’m sorry, it was just a joke, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know that, I just… Please don’t use it.”

Blake nodded, a small smile on her lips.

This time, it was Blake’s stomach that decided to remind the girls that it was time to eat.

“Glad to hear I’m not the only one whose hungry.” Weiss looked at the two of them, dressed in a nightgown and a yukata respectively. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not going out like that.”  
Blake looked at Weiss’ legs. Her long, white legs. “I’m sure anyone would appreciate the view.” She blushed and brought her eyes back the Weiss’ face. “I mean, yes, I don’t really want to do it either. Maybe we could have someone bring it here?”

Weiss scoffed at the idea. “I could ask my father to send a servant, but I’m pretty hungry and waiting for him to come from Atlas…”

Blake grinned at her. “But where the Schnee family has servants, I have friends.” Weiss winced and Blake eyes went wide, realizing what she just said. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry Weiss, I didn’t mean it like that, I—”  
“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean it.” Weiss managed to hide how much those had hurt. It wasn’t on purpose, but Blake’s word had stung a lot.

Blake wasn’t fooled. “Still, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You know what? I’ll forgive you if you kiss me.” Weiss pointed at her left cheek, showing Blake where to kiss. _Either she gets flustered, or she kisses me. Win-win situation._ When she saw Blake come closer, Weiss closed her eyes to avoid being the one blushing. She was surprised when she felt Blake’s lips to the right of where she was pointing, just on her scar. “Wha—?” She stopped talking when she saw Blake’s smile. It was a very soft, very gentle smile that made Weiss’ heart beat faster. “S—So, what was your idea so we could eat?” Weiss avoided looking at Blake, trying to calm herself.

“I was thinking of calling Sienna, she works at the cafeteria. Maybe she could help us.” Seeing Weiss’ confused expression, she added, “Ocelot Faunus? In charge of the food?” 

Weiss nodded, remembering having seen her on occasion.

Blake took the scroll she left in one of her pockets when they went to shower and called Sienna.

“Hi Sienna, this is Blake… Just a little rain, it’s fine…yes, I wondered if—” Blake was interrupted by the thunder, a lot louder than it had been before. She screamed and dropped the scroll. Blake sat back on the floor and hugged her knees, shaking.

Weiss picked up the scroll and sat down next to Blake, putting an arm around her shoulders. Since Blake’s face was still hidden, she decided to answer the phone.

“Hello, this is Weiss, Blake’s friend.”

“Is Blake all right?” Panic could be heard over the phone.

“She’s fine, it was just a little scare. She wanted to know if it would be possible for you to bring Blake and I some food.” Weiss paused, thinking about the situation. “I realize how awkward it is to ask for something like this when we never talked, but I think it would be better if Blake didn’t leave the room for now.”

There was a pause while the person on the line thought about what Weiss asked. “Do you like fish?”

“I… yes?” Weiss didn’t understand what this had to do with her question, but decided that answering was the best course of action.

“I’ll bring something for you two. Tell Blake she’ll have to give me the recipe for her tuna sandwich in exchange.” She hung up and Weiss put the scroll next to her.

She started caressing the back of the still shaking Faunus, trying to get her to calm a little. “She’s going to bring us food, she said you’ll have to give her a recipe for that.”

Blake nodded. “Did she say what she would bring?” Her voice was muffled, but still understandable.

“I’m not sure, but she did ask me if I liked fish.” Weiss knew it wasn’t really nice to tease her right now, but maybe it could take her mind of the storm.

Blake suddenly lifted her head, looking right at Weiss. “You said yes, right?”

“Well, it’s not really my favorite, so...” 

“Did. You. Say. Yes?”

The piercing amber glare almost made Weiss shiver. “I did.”

The prospect of having her favorite food did wonders for Blake’s mood and she almost completely stopped shaking.

Weiss stood up and went to take a brush in the bathroom. She noticed that Blake’s hair needed brushing when she stroked her back, and they needed to do something while waiting for their food. She came back in the room, sat on her bed and patted the space in front of her, inviting Blake to sit there. “Come here, your hair need brushing.”

Blake ran her hand through her hair and winced when it got caught. She sat next to Weiss, letting her do it. “Please be careful with my ears.” Her cat ears flicked, illustrating her words.

Weiss movements slowed down when the brush got near the furry appendages, being careful not to hurt her. After a moment of silence, Weiss spoke. “I always wanted to brush someone’s hair.”

“You never did it with your sister?”

“Winter is… not really the type of person to do that.” Weiss stopped brushing and looked at the result of her work. “You have very pretty hair.”

Blake ran her hand through her hair again, appreciating how well it flowed. “It’s your turn now, give me the brush.”

Weiss handed the brush and turned, letting Blake take care of her hair. Blake was about to start when the sound of thunder filled the room and Weiss felt the brush hit her on the head. “Ow.” She rubbed her head and looked at Blake. “Maybe we should do it another time?”

Blake was shaking, but her face showed determination. “No, I can do it. It won’t—it won’t happen again.”

Weiss was a little anxious, but she quickly lost herself in the rhythm of the brush. She felt Blake tense up each time lightning stroke, but she managed to avoid hitting her. A knock on the door brought Weiss back to reality, reminding her how hungry she was.

Blake went to open the door while Weiss prepared Ruby’s desk to serve as a table once more. The Faunus exchanged a few words before Blake took the tray a gave a piece of paper to the old woman.

Blake put the tray on the desk and the two girls sat down to eat. It was a simple fish dish, burbot, with a lemon and butter sauce and potatoes on the side. A simple dish, not the most balanced, but filling and tasty, exactly what they needed after a run a full speed through Vale.

They started eating in silence, being too hungry to stop to talk. Weiss quickly felt better and was curious about the deal that had been made to get them the food. “What was this recipe you gave her?”

“While we didn’t lack food in the White Fang, it wasn’t varied at all. I tried different thing to make eating the same thing over and over easier and found a very good recipe of tuna sandwich. One day, she saw me make one and has wanted to know how I made it ever since.”

“So you gave up the well-guarded secret of the Belladonna sandwich for us?”

Blake blushed. Hearing it said like that made it sound so stupid. “It’s not like I really wanted it to stay a secret, but there are so few things I can be proud of during my time in the White Fang I… it sounds stupid, but I didn’t want to lose that.”

Weiss took a deep breath. She wanted to support Blake, but anything related to the White Fang brought up bad memories. “I would love to say that fighting for your rights and against oppression is something you could be proud of, but…” Weiss stopped, trying to gauge Blake’s reaction.

Blake nodded, telling her to continue. She was interested to hear Weiss’ opinion on the White fang in a maybe more thought-out way than last time.

“I told you how my father came home angry after White Fang’s attacks, but that wasn’t all. There used to be rallies in front of our house every week when I was little, led by the White Fang. It was the old symbol, but for a little girl, it didn’t matter. I had nightmares almost every night in which they managed to enter our house and kidnap us or beat us up or kill us or burn the house with us inside or… well, I didn’t sleep well. Growing up, I had to hear them scream at me how ugly my hair was, how I was too small, not sexy enough…” Weiss sighed. “It hurt a lot at the time, but I’m better now.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re beautiful and I know Velvet agrees with me.”

“Of course I am.” Blake rolled her eyes but her smile didn’t disappear. She was starting to know the heiress. “But thank you.” _You have no idea how much it’s worth coming from you._ “Anyway, the rallies ended the day a servant got beaten up by the crowd for the horrible, horrible crime of working for us. My father got incredibly angry at the idea it could have been me or my sister and managed to get them to stop rallying in front of our home.”

“They consider that working for the Schnee family mean supporting them and their treatment of the Faunus.”

“We also offer relatively high-paying jobs that are usually safe, save for the occasional beat up by a crowd.” Weiss tried to calm down. Blake had nothing to do with it. “I’m sorry, it’s just that those guys come at our house, clean, cook, do their job and go home to their family. They have nothing to do with the mines, nothing to do with the Faunus and no influence on the SDC decisions. The White Fang brings innocent into their conflict, all in the name of justice, that’s why I can’t stand them.”

“And that’s why I left.”

Weiss looked at Blake’s face, unable to read her emotions. “I know, I didn’t mean to blame you, I just wanted to tell you what the White Fang was to me.”

“I don’t think this is something we’ll ever completely agree on. But it was interesting to hear about the other side. And I always thought the people insulting your hair were stupid.”

Weiss couldn’t stop herself from laughing a little. “Dolt.” She caressed her hair, appreciating the how smooth it was after having been brushed by Blake. They resumed their eating, having stopped during Weiss story. They wanted to eat quickly while the storm had calmed down a little to avoid accidents.

They put their empty plates on the tray, deciding to wait until the next day to bring it back. Weiss considered eating one of the apple that had been brought with the meal, but decided to keep it for breakfast when she heard the storm pick up outside. She wanted to try and get Black mind of it before things got too bad.

Meanwhile, Blake went to get the things they bought out of the bags. They had left them near the door when they came back, not wanting to risk damaging them. She first took out her new perfume and nail polish and went to put it in her part of the bathroom, smiling the entire time.

Next, she took her new books and put them on the shelf near her bed. Her teammates had allowed her to get almost all the bookshelves in the dorm for herself, Ruby and Yang usually reading on their scrolls and Weiss having left most of her books in her suitcases. She said she was organized, so it didn’t matter if her books were not on bookshelves. Speculation had run rampant with her teammates, Ruby suggesting that she had secret SDC documents and Yang suggesting she had smut. Blake hadn’t participated too much, not wanting to attract too much attention to her own readings.  
The last item in the bags was Weiss’ fashion book. Blake hadn’t realized how heavy it was until she took it. “Here.” She handed it to Weiss as she came toward the beds.

“Thanks.” Weiss took the book but didn’t go anywhere. There was something she wanted to ask Blake. “So… Are you still interested in looking at the book together? Or would you rather read yours?”

While she wanted to start reading her books, Blake had to admit that she found the idea of spending more time with Weiss very appealing, and not only because she helped her handle the thunder a little better. “Sure.”

Weiss lay on her bed, trying to leave as much space for Blake as she could.

Blake frowned. “I know I ate a lot, but I’m not that big.” She didn’t want Weiss to make herself uncomfortable for her sake. “And maybe you should be on the left, that way you’ll have your left hand free and I’ll have my right.”

Weiss pouted a little since it was an idea she should have had herself, but she moved on the other side of the bed. Blake lay next to her and helped her stabilize the book. 

The next hour was spent reading the book, marveling at the pictures inside and taking notes on what outfits could be worn during a photoshoot. Each time lightning struck outside, Weiss took Blake’s hand in hers, not letting go until the shaking almost stopped. Thanks to her, Blake had found the storm not as bad as the others and quickly felt herself falling asleep. When keeping her eyes open became too difficult, Blake turned her head and whispered into Weiss’ ear. “Let’s sleep.” She was too tired to articulate properly, but Weiss understood and managed to put the book on the shelf next to the bed by herself.

When she turned back, Blake was already asleep. “Good night, Blake.”

* * *

The next morning, Weiss woke up with someone in her bed for the second time of the week. She was starting to enjoy it, but finding how to make it happen more often would have to wait, as Blake was also waking up. “Good morning.”

It took a few seconds for Blake to answer during which she was fighting to wake up. “Morning.” A few more seconds and Blake finally remembered why she shared a bed with the heiress. She blushed when she remembered the state she was in during the storm. “Do—Do you think we could keep this between us? The thunder, the shower… sleeping together.” She didn’t want people to know how scared of thunder she was and was hoping to be able to get over it before the rest of her team found out.

Weiss felt a twinge of sadness, but she understood why Blake didn’t want people to know. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, especially Yang. I wouldn’t want to hurt your chances with her.” Weiss managed to keep her tone from showing her emotions, but her words betrayed her bitterness about the idea that Blake loved Yang.

Blake was confused, thinking that Weiss was not completely awake. “What are you talking about?”

Weiss didn’t want to talk more about the subject, but it was her chance to confirm it and, if she was correct, start getting over it. “You said you realized you liked girls because of the girls at Beacon, one on our team in particular, and you like blond hair. Not hard to figure it out.”

Blake sighed. Weiss was completely mistaken and it would be better to correct her before it caused problems. “It wasn’t Yang, and I like light-colored hair, like blond or white.”

Weiss didn’t expect this answer and it took her a few moments to answer. “It was Ruby? But she’s not—”

Blake interrupted her. “It wasn’t Ruby either.” Blake looked at the confused blue eyes in front of her, a gentle smile on her lips. “For a girl so smart, you can be an idiot sometimes. It was you.”

Weiss was unable to speak following the revelation, and she was interrupted by a scroll’s ringing when she finally got her composure back.

Blake went over Weiss to answer the scroll the heiress left on the shelf between their beds after having called Sienna. “Hello… Yes, it’s me…” Blake’s eyes went wide when she heard why she was called. “No, please, I—I’ll bring it right now…yes.” Blake dropped her scroll, gave her hair a quick brush and put on her clothes so quickly that Weiss only managed to ask her what was going on when she had a hand on the door and a book in the other, ready to go out. “I have to bring this book back to the library right now or I’ll have to pay a late fee.” And with those words she was gone.

Weiss got out of bed and put on her usual clothes while thinking about what Blake had said before getting called. ‘It was you’. Three simple words, but since she heard them, Weiss could think only of one thing. She had to tell Blake how she felt about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to some big events it would seem. ;) 
> 
> As usual, thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	13. Phone calls

Weiss had a plan. She was going to bring the tray back to the kitchen, then go to the library to see Blake and talk to her about her feelings. Perfect plan, no need to think too much. She knew it would only be harder if she thought too much.

She arrived at the empty cafeteria and quickly found the person she was looking for. She approached the woman who brought the tray the previous day and greeted her. “Hello, I’m Weiss, we talked on the phone yesterday.”

The old woman gave her a big smile. “Thank you for bringing it back.” She took the tray from Weiss and put it with the rest of the dirty dishes. “How was the food?”

“It was very good, Blake enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for the apple by the way.” Weiss held up the apple that had been brought with the food. She didn’t want to lose time going after Blake and was glad she decided to keep it for breakfast.

“I’m glad to hear that. Is she feeling better?”

Weiss was surprised by the question. The woman seemed to care a lot about Blake, more than the staff usually did for a student. “She’s fine now.”

“I’m sure she is if you were there for her.” Sienna had a good idea of the feelings Blake had for Weiss. She wasn’t really the type to bring breakfast in bed to someone she didn’t like a lot. Whether it was as a close friend or something more remained to be seen.

Weiss and Sienna said their goodbyes and the heiress started walking toward the library while eating her apple. She was going to find Blake, maybe ask the librarian if she saw her if she had already left, maybe call her, then she would say that she had something to tell her and she would rather do it in a private place. Blake would probably start guessing what was about to happen, but she would agree. Well, probably. After all, the previous day could be called a date and Blake hadn’t seemed to hate it or be uncomfortable with the idea. Maybe she didn’t realize it was a date? From what she told her, Weiss guessed that Blake grew up with a lot of people, maybe it was normal for them to act like that? Maybe it had just been a normal day between friends for Blake and nothing more?

Weiss’ quickly spiraling train of thought was interrupted by a commotion near the infirmary. She heard Jaune scream at people to get out of the way, with Nora backing him up. The noise got closer and closer and she decided to go and see what was going on.

When she arrived, she saw Nora brandishing Magnhild and scarring people away and Jaune talking with the nurse. She approached Ren, who was standing on the side. “Hello Ren. What’s going on?”

Ren, unusually for him, looked a little worried when he heard someone call him but had a little smile when he saw it was Weiss. “Hi.” He looked around, frowning at the other students in the corridor. “Can’t really talk here, but we had a little… accident during our training.”

Weiss got worried, especially since Pyrrha was nowhere to be seen. “What happened? Where’s Pyrrha?”

Ren shook his head. He wouldn’t talk with so many people around.

They waited in silence until Jaune waved at them, telling to come in. Once inside the infirmary with Jaune, Nora and Ren, Weiss saw the nurse frown at her. “She not part of your team. What is she doing here?” She didn’t like having more people than necessary in the waiting room.

“Don’t worry, she’s our friend.” The nurse looked at Jaune suspiciously before going back to the patients.

Weiss nodded at Jaune, thankful. “So, what’s going on?”

Jaune sat down on a chair, followed by his teammates. They all looked exhausted. “We were camping in forever fall, you know, training, fighting the occasional Grimm, all that. I was training with Pyrrha this morning when a pack of Beowolves attacked.” Jaune had a small, derisive laugh. “Pyrrha killed them all while I was stuck with one. We apparently missed one who snuck up on me, Pyrrha pushed me out of the way and got hit instead of me.” Jaune put his head in his hands. “She should have let me get hit.”

Nora continued the story, Jaune having stopped talking. “Ren and I heard the attack, killed the last Grimm when we arrived, brought Pyrrha back to Beacon and now she’s going to be fine because the doctors are going to patch her up.” Her voice started getting a little threatening at the end, making it clear that she would not accept Pyrrha not getting better quickly.

Weiss turned toward Ren. “How bad was it?” Seeing how the other two members of JNPR acted, it was the only way she would have an answer close to reality.

Ren shrugged. “She should be fine. The wound wasn’t too bad and we got here quickly. She’s sleeping for now.”

Weiss sighed, relieved. “Good.” She started making her way toward the door. “I’ll let you rest now. Could you send me a message when she wakes up? Just to know she’s fine.”

Jaune looked at her with a small smile. “Sure. Could you avoid spreading it around? Just coming here attracted a crowd, if you confirm that Pyrrha is hurt…”

Weiss nodded. People wanting to confirm that the famous Pyrrha Nikos took a hit, whether because they were worried or just wanted to confirm it, would make it hard for her to rest. Leaving the infirmary, Weiss decided to go back to her room. Blake had to have finished at the library, and the first place Weiss would look for her was their room. It was even better than before since they would already be in a private place. She would be able to tell her immediately what she had to tell. It wasn’t perfect however, because she wouldn’t have anywhere to go if Blake didn’t reciprocate. 

It was a possibility and she had to be prepared for it. She wasn’t sure how she would react, but breaking down in tears in front of Blake was certainly not what was going to happen. At least, she hoped.

Weiss arrived at her room and found it empty. She threw the apple core she was still holding in the bin and went to the bathroom. Since she was here, she could use the opportunity to fix her appearance.

She made sure her hair was not out of place, that her clothes were in place and weren’t stained—a constant worry since she always wore white, she should try something different, blue maybe—and looked closely at the person in the mirror. The girl on the other side was very pretty, her white hair, her pale skin, her blue eyes… She looked like a princess. The more Weiss looked at her, the more the smile of the girl in the mirror disappeared. No matter how beautiful this girl was, Weiss knew that it was only a façade. She was arrogant, selfish, unlikable, had an awful temper and was almost unable to make friends. She drove people away because she was scared to open up to others, to let her real feelings known. Blake had said that she found her pretty, that it was her that helped her realized she liked girls, but it was only because she didn’t know her well enough.

Weiss knew that she had to stop right there and go find Blake before it got worse, but a little voice in the back of her head interrupted that thought. It talked about how lucky she was to have found friends in Beacon, how Ruby, Yang and Blake were all good person and great friends. Confessing to Blake, especially if she rejected her, would certainly put a strain on their relationships, which could have repercussions on their performance in combat. Was it really worth it? Even Pyrrha had been hurt trying to protect Jaune. If they weren’t always at their peak conditions, they could be badly wounded, even killed, because of her selfishness. And if Blake was hurt? Worse, what if she was killed because of her, because she tried to protect her? She wasn’t sure she could take it. And why Blake anyway? Because she was the only one willing to listen to her? Or because she was a Faunus? After all, if Weiss Schnee could say that her first girlfriend was a Faunus, surely people would stop calling her racist.

“That’s not true!” Weiss screamed, silencing the voice. She opened her eyes, having shut them at some point, and looked in the mirror. She met the blue eyes of the girl on the other side of the mirror. While she looked like a princess a few moments before, she was now completely different. Her pale skin made her look sick, her eyes were cold, unfeeling, and even the tears that started forming didn’t help. Any trace of a smile had disappeared from her face. All in all, she didn’t look like someone you wanted to get close to, not as friend and even less as a lover. Weiss couldn’t bear to look at her anymore and sat down on the floor.

She had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when her scroll rang. “Hey Weiss, it’s your favorite teammate. Heard there was a big storm in Vale last night. You and Blake got out in time?”

Weiss sighed. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, but she knew that Yang wouldn’t leave her if she told her. “W—We got surprised by the rain but managed to be back at Beacon before the storm really started.” She tried to sound as normal as possible, but didn’t really manage to hide the tears in her voice.

Yang wasn’t fooled by Weiss’ attempts at hiding her feelings. “Weiss is there something wrong?” Her voice became softer as her habits as a big sister kicked in. “Did you and Blake fight? Wait… Did she reject you?”

Weiss shook her head before remembering that Yang couldn’t see her. “N—No, I didn’t ask. What’s the point? Someone like me… Being friend is already more than I could have hoped.”

Yang remembered that time in the bathroom, when Weiss asked her if someone could love her. Yang had suspected it would cause trouble, that and the heiress tendency to hide her true feelings. Yang tried to cheer up Weiss the best she could, failing completely. The two girls said goodbye and hung up. Yang looked at Weiss’ name on her scroll, frowning. She would not let her friend ruin her chances to be with the girl she loved because she couldn’t accept that people could love her back.

* * *

Yang left the bedroom she shared with Ruby and went downstairs to the room that served as the workshop of the Xiao Long – Rose family. When they bought the house, Taiyang and Summer—or maybe Raven, Yang never got a real answer from her dad—decided to make the spare room on the first floor into a place where they could work on their weapons without having to worry about their young girls hurting themselves on the tools or weapons. Yang could still remember how angry her father got when she entered the room when she was six, surprising him while he worked with Dust.

Growing up, Ruby had been in there more than all the members of her family together. Yang found her working on her bullets in her pajamas. Yang knocked on the door to avoid surprising her. As fun as it would be, she did not have the time to deal with a dust explosion right now. “Hey Ruby, could you give me Coco’s number?”

“Sure.” Ruby delicately put the dust she was holding down and reached for the scroll she had put on a nearby table. “Why do you want to call her for?”

“Oh, err… Just wanted some advice on some clothes I have. She always dresses well and I heard she knows a lot about fashion so…”

Ruby narrowed her eyes at Yang. Her sister’s only interest in fashion was how to be has sexy as possible, clearly she was hiding something. She decided not to pry. Yang hated prying, and it was always better to wait for her to talk about it by herself. “I guess your ‘fashion magazine’ can’t help you.”

Yang rolled her eyes. “Ha ha ha.” Even Ruby could see that her sister was not really laughing. “It was years ago, and you know Dad never gave it back to me because of you, right?”

Ruby had the decency to look sheepish as she gave her scroll to Yang. The older girl put the number in her scroll and prepared to leave the room.

“By the way, Dad as something to tell us during lunch, so no showing up late.”

Yang waved at Ruby, acknowledging her words, and went back to her room.

“Now, to have a happy Weiss…” Yang sat on her bed, organizing her thoughts for a second. “First, I have to talk to Velvet.”

Yang called Coco’s scroll, hoping she wouldn’t wake team CFVY up.

After waiting a little, someone picked up the phone. “Just a moment.” It was the voice of a man. A still sleepy, slightly irritated man. “Coco, come answer your damn scroll.” He’s voice was muffled as he called his team leader.

Coco’s answer was muffled and couldn’t be heard through the phone. A few seconds later and the phone was picked up. “Hello, Coco here.”

“Hi, it’s Yang, Ruby’s sister. Err… Sorry about waking up your teammate.”

“Don’t worry about it, Fox is always cranky in the morning.” Yang couldn’t clearly hear Fox’s reaction, but she was almost certain it started with an F.

Yang laughed, thinking about her own team. “We have one like that in our team.” She stopped laughing, remembering why she was calling. “Hey, could I talk to Velvet? I have a few things I want to ask her.”  
“She’s taking a shower, I think she’s almost finished. What do you want to talk about with her?”

Yang knew why Coco was curious, after all she never really talked to Velvet before, but she didn’t want to say too much in case her plan didn’t work out. “I wanted to talk about Blake. I know they’re friends so…” Yang didn’t finish her sentence, hoping Coco would be satisfied.

“Speaking of Blake, are her and the princess together? I wasn’t completely sure when I saw them the other day.”

“They’re not. Not yet at least.” 

“Oh?” Coco was starting to guess why Yang wanted to talk to her girlfriend. “Well, Vel is out, I’m giving her the phone.”

Yang heard some shuffling as Coco handed the scroll to Velvet. “Hello?”

“Hi Velvet, it’s Yang. I’ll be quick. Has Blake told you anything about… how she felt about Weiss?”

Velvet thought for a few moments before answering. “She… might have said something, but you understand that I can’t just go and tell anyone who ask, right? Why don’t you ask her directly?”

Yang sighed. She understood why Velvet didn’t want to talk, but it didn’t make things easy. “Weiss is… not going well at the moment and I’d like to have Blake go comfort her, but given the situation, I want to make sure I’m not making things worse. As for asking Blake directly… She will ask why I want to know and if she manage to find out and doesn’t reciprocate Weiss’—” Yang stopped herself, realizing she was about to tell more than she should. She took a deep breath and thought about her call with Weiss, calming herself. As distressing as hearing the heiress depressed and on the verge of tears, it wouldn’t do any good if she couldn’t control her emotions and screwed everything up.

“Well, if you’re worried about that, I’m pretty sure those two feel the same way about each other. But it’s something you just saw by yourself and I didn’t have anything to do with that, right?”

Yang smiled. “Of course. Thank you Velvet.”

“Not a problem, just… make sure those two are okay.” The concern in Velvet’s voice was genuine, surprising Yang. For all she knew, Velvet and Weiss had almost never talked.

“I will.” Yang hung up and peeked outside her room.

Ruby was still the workshop and her dad wouldn’t enter if he heard she was on the scroll. Good, she didn’t want to be interrupted or have Ruby find out right now.

Yang called Blake, hoping to reach her before she went to the dorm. Weiss wasn’t one to show her true emotions in public, so Yang had guessed she was in team RWBY’s room, the echo of her voice making her think she was in the bathroom in particular.

“Yang?” Blake was surprised, she did not expect to get a call from her friend.

“Hey Blakey, I wanted to hear my best friend’s voice.”

“You’ll have to call someone else if you keep calling me ‘Blakey’.” There was no irritation in Blake’s voice. While she didn’t like the nickname, she didn’t really mind if Yang used it. It was more banter between them than anything else.

“Don’t be like that.” Yang decided to stop joking and go straight to the point. “Weiss isn’t feeling well.”

“What? What happened?” Blake’s worry could be heard in her voice.

“From what I got, she thinks you’re too good for her and that no one will love her because of her personality.”

“That’s not true, I—” Blake interrupted herself, not knowing that Yang was already aware of her feelings. Not that she didn’t trust Yang, but she didn’t really want to talk about it on the phone in the middle or a corridor. “Where is she? I’ll go see her.”

“I’ll tell you, but I have to ask you a few things before.”

“Yang, it’s not the time for games.” Blake was starting to get agitated. She didn’t like knowing that Weiss felt like that and not being able to help.

“I’m not playing.” Yang’s eyes flashed red. How could Blake say that she was seeing it as a game when Weiss was alone and crying? She took a deep breath, calming herself. “Blake, do you really think I would do this if I didn’t have a good reason?”

Blake thought about it. Yang loved teasing people and having fun, but she was always careful not to go too far. Even Weiss had agreed on that point. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Do you like… no, do you love Weiss?”

“You know.” It wasn’t a question but an affirmation. “You already know, you wouldn’t ask it like that otherwise.” Yang lacked subtlety, but thinking back on the conversation up until now, that was too blunt, even for her.

“I want to hear you say it.”

There was a soft shuffling sound on the scroll as Blake looked around her to make sure no one was listening. “I do, I love her.” Yang could imagine how red the usually secretive Blake was as she uttered those words.

“Then go to our room and tell her that. I’m sure you would prefer waiting for her to make the first step,” Yang heard Blake humph on the other end of the line, “but you’re going to have to be the one doing it this time.”

“I’m on my way.” Yang could hear the sound of Blake’s footsteps.

Yang had one last thing to say before hanging up. “Blake just… don’t scare her off.”

“Don’t worry.” With that, Blake hung up.

Yang let herself fall on her bed, hoping that the next time they’ll see each other, things would be different between her friends, for the better.

* * *

Blake was walking as fast as she could without running outright. When Yang told her about Weiss, she felt a pain in her chest imagining the heiress crying, alone. It wasn’t like her to let her emotions out like that, yet Blake scolded herself because she should have expected that. They had spent the majority of the previous day together, went on what could almost be called a date, took a shower together and slept in the same bed. And it was on top of everything that happened the days before, were they both opened up to each other and shared a lot of things they hid from everyone else. For Blake, it was clear than something more than friendship was developing between them, but as Yang said, she wasn’t the type to make the first step and she was fine with taking her time.

Yet, when she thought of Weiss, Blake could only berate herself. Weiss had a hard time telling people were friends with her, it could only be worse when it came to feelings deeper than that. She was probably finding all the excuses she could to tell herself that Blake only saw her as a friend.

Blake entered team RWBY’s room, expecting to see Weiss on her bed, but she was only welcomed by silence. She looked around the room, trying to find any clues about the heiress’ location when saw a piece of paper on her desk. Nothing unusual for Weiss, but this one looked different than usual. Where Weiss’ notes were always very neat and tidy, this one was covered in crossed words, words of different sizes and lines connecting them.

Blake went over Weiss’ desk to read it. At the top, she saw what looked like the title. 

“Mirror Mirror part 2 (Maybe find a better title?)”

Blake wondered if it had anything to do with the song Velvet made them listen to. It was also about mirrors, maybe this one was a continuation. She looked at the rest of the paper sheet, trying to find out what it was about. It seemed Weiss had a habit of making comments on her own writings in a different color.

“Chorus: Belief: fairy stories => invisible ghosts => believe in me (I can’t.)” The last part was crossed but could still be read. It seemed Weiss was trying to find ideas around a theme, it being for a chorus confirming that Weiss was writing a song. Blake wondered if it was okay for her to keep reading something so personal, but her curiosity won out. Maybe she could find something that would help her.

“Forget those stupid daydreams and do what I told you. (I can’t forget you said that)” Weiss was clearly shaking when she had written the comment and Blake was impressed that she had been able to hide it from her when they both had been in the same room. Granted, she had a tendency to get lost in her books.

“And isolation's/The price you pay/And every friendship/Is pushed away” Those four lines had been circled and three words had been added next to them. “Not anymore. Blake.” Seeing her name used like that, Blake felt a small smile appear on her face.

And at the bottom of the sheet, there was one phrase that had been written, without any comment or other marks. “I think I might change it all.” Weiss wanted to change, and she had already started doing so. Blake was going to do her best to help her.

Blake put down the paper and started moving toward the bathroom. If Weiss was in the dorm and she could not see her, there were not a lot of places she could have gone.

* * *

Weiss had not moved since she got the call from Yang. She was sitting on the cold bathroom floor, lost in thought. At least, she didn’t have to look at the mirror. While she had felt like crying multiple times, she always managed to keep it in. Seemed like her father’s training had not been completely worthless after all.

She missed the sound of the dorm room opening and was surprised when Blake entered the bathroom. “What are you doing here?”

Blake didn’t answer immediately and sat down next to Weiss, putting an arm around her shoulders. “I just want to spend more time with you.”

“What?”

“Those last few days have been very nice. I got to talk a little about me, and I learned a lot about you. I remember thinking that were a real spoiled brat when we first met, blowing up at Ruby like that—”

“She’s the one that blew up.”

Blake had a small chuckle. If Weiss hadn’t lost her sense of humor, maybe it wasn’t as bad as she had feared. “You know what I mean.” There was a small silence before Blake continued. “When we got put in the same team and started fighting together, I saw you as someone competent, one of the best student of the year, but an awful personality. You were pretty harsh with Ruby after she’d been made the leader too.” Blake could feel Weiss tense up.

“I know.” Weiss had since realized how hard it must be for her teammates to deal with her when she was in a bad mood.

“But you’ve changed. You’ve accepted and supported her, and my opinion of you changed too. I saw you as a teammate, then as a friend, then…” Blake took a deep breath. No running away this time. If she continued, things between her and Weiss would change. But that’s what she wanted, she didn’t want to just be her friend anymore. “Then I started feeling… something more.” Blake removed her arm from Weiss and sat in front of her, looking her in the eyes. “Weiss, would you be my girlfriend?” It was far from the ideal confession she had read about in her books. They were sitting on the cool floor of their bathroom instead of being in an idyllic location and her voice was shaking instead of being full of confidence. But all she cared about was Weiss’ answer.

It took almost half a minute before Weiss was able to react. “Why? You said it yourself, I have an awful personality, I’m not as sexy as Yang or as nice as Ruby or—” Weiss was interrupted by a pair of lips pressing against hers.

Blake had decided that, if Weiss was going to find excuses anyway, she would leave absolutely no doubt about her feelings.

Weiss’ first reaction was to move back, but Blake was holding her by the shoulders. Blake probably would have let go if she had insisted, but she decided against it. She felt herself melt into the kiss, wanting this instant to last forever.

Sadly, it was not to be, and the two girls parted after a few moments that had felt too short. Blake was the one to break the silence. “I did not fall in love with a perfect girl, but with you, Weiss Schnee. You’re stubborn, prideful, you act confident even when you don’t have any idea what you’re doing. But you also learn from your mistakes, you didn’t hesitate to help Velvet and Coco when they were here and you were willing to forgive me, even you could have hated me for what the White Fang made you go through. I could go on and on about what I like about you, but the important thing is that I want to be with you for as long as possible. So Weiss, do you want to be my girlfriend?”

For the first time in years, Weiss felt a tear roll down her cheek. “I—Am I dreaming? You’re not joking, right?”

Blake winced. “That would be a horrible joke to make. I’m completely serious.” As she said that, she felt Weiss throw her arms around her and hug her, maybe a little tighter than was comfortable, but Blake didn’t mind.

After a few moments, Weiss let her go and looked at her in the eyes. “To answer your question, I do.” Weiss’ lips brushed Blake’s, unsure if it was okay for her to do that. Blake dispelled her doubts by pulling her closer to her and kissing back. The two girls separated again, if only because the floor was starting to get really uncomfortable. “Maybe we should go on a bed.”

“We just got together, don’t you think it’s a little early?” Blake grinned at Weiss. Just because she was her girlfriend—she felt incredibly happy to be able to think of Weiss that way—didn’t mean she would stop teasing her.

Weiss blushed when she heard that, but it had more do to hearing Blake say they were together than the joke. She still had a hard time believing it was real, that her and Blake were really dating.  
The two girls stood up, Blake being the first one to leave the bathroom.

As she followed Blake, Weiss threw one last glance at the girl in the mirror. She looked better than before. Her pale skin, her bright blue eyes, her scar… The sick girl had left place to the princess once more, and Weiss hoped it would stay like that for a while. The last thing Weiss saw before losing sight of her was her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, the big moment. Blake and Weiss are finally together, all is well with the world.
> 
> Or not, because they live on Remnant and not in some utopian world. But at least they will be together facing the future. ;)
> 
> So no, the story is not over yet.
> 
> As usual, thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	14. Interrupted cuddles

After leaving the bathroom, Weiss saw Blake standing next to her bed, her amber eyes looking straight at her, and started feeling a lot warmer. Weiss walked to her friend—no, her girlfriend—and kissed her. Weiss had never been so close to someone and couldn’t get enough of this feeling. Blake put an arm around her waist, gently dragging her toward the bed. They both sat down and continued kissing. Their hands began to move, slowly caressing each other. Blake undid Weiss’ ponytail and played with her hair, enjoying the silky feeling of the beautiful white threads between her fingers.

Weiss was more daring, her hands caressing Blake’s back, going lower and lower. A part of her thought that she was maybe going a little too fast, but the warmth she felt and the fact that she was finally able to act the way she wanted and not the way she had to silenced it and left her mind a little hazy.

Feeling that her girlfriend was getting more comfortable with her, Blake decided to follow her lead and go a little further, removing Weiss’ jacket and revealing her graceful arms, the pale skin slightly pinker than usual. Her hand went up Weiss’ arms, the tip of her fingers making Weiss shiver when they made contact with her skin on the way. Blake was now used to Weiss’ low body temperature and she noticed the heiress was warmer than usual. Her hands reached Weiss’ back and began caressing it before getting closer to her chest.

“Blake…”

Hearing her name said in such a sensual voice made Blake feel very hot and encouraged her to keep going. She looked at Weiss, wanting to admire the girl she loved. Her eyes were half-closed, her mouth slightly open and her frown had disappeared. She was letting Blake take the lead, trusting her. She looked so innocent, so… vulnerable…

“Do it my love, free us from the Schnees.”

Blake pushed Weiss off of her, stood up and started walking around the room, trying to clear her mind.

“Blake? What’s going on?” Weiss was worried about Blake’s sudden reaction, wondering if it was something she did.

At this occasion, Blake discovered that she really disliked having her girlfriend worry about her as it made it very hard for her to focus on something else. She sat back next to Weiss and took her hand. “First, it’s not your fault. I know you, you will start to blame yourself if I don’t say that.” Weiss crossed her arms and humphed. She wasn’t sure how to feel about Blake being able to predict her reactions like that. Blake’s tone was a little more somber when she continued. “All my life, I was taught that the Schnees were our greatest enemy, that killing them all was a necessity to be freed, to finally be happy. I thought I was done with all that, but seeing you so trusting and vulnerable, I heard… his voice” Blake averted her gaze, unable to look at her girlfriend in the eyes. “I heard Adam telling me to hurt you, to kill you. It disappeared immediately, but I don’t want to think of him when I’m with you. I—I thought I was finished with all this…” Blake felt her girlfriend caress her face, removing the tears that stared forming at the corners of her eyes, and give her a light kiss on the lips. Her hands were still a little warn, but they were going back to their usual coolness now that Weiss had calmed down.

Weiss knew that indoctrination was common in the White Fang, and that it still had some effects on Blake was not a big surprise. Weiss smiled to her girlfriend trying to cheer her up. “I’m pretty sure you’re not the type of person to get happier when your girlfriend is murdered.” Weiss felt Blake hug her. Just talking about Weiss getting killed made Blake feel sick. Weiss started petting Blake’s head. “Don’t worry, it won’t happen. And for the voice you hear… we’ll just have to shut him up. We don’t have to rush, we can take it at a speed you’re comfortable with.” Weiss was a little frustrated to be able to go farther, but she knew to going faster than Blake was comfortable with would only end badly.

They stayed in each other arms for a few minutes before separating. Weiss decided to change the subject. “So, now that we’re together, can I start using nicknames?” Weiss’ knowledge of romance came mostly from novels and movies, and she always liked the way those couples had a way to refer to each other that belonged only to them.

“Who are you, Yang?” Blake had a small laugh before sighing. She wasn’t a big fan of nicknames, but if it made her happy… “As long as you don’t call me ‘love’ or ‘darling’, I think It’ll be okay. They just bring back too many bad memories.”

“Adam?”

Blake nodded. Her lasts few months in the White Fang had been very uncomfortable. “Also, please avoid nicknames based around me being a cat, like ‘kitty’ or ‘pussy’ or… anything like that. I’m not an animal!” Like each time she talked about it, Blake had a hard time controlling her emotions.

Weiss put her head on Blake’s shoulder, nuzzling against her. “You know what? Blake is a beautiful name, I don’t think I need to call you anything else. You… don’t like nicknames, right?”

Blake leaned her head against Weiss’, sharing this moment with her. “So you can read people feelings when you want.” She ignored Weiss playfully hitting her. “You’re right, I prefer when people use my name. At—At least they see me as a person.”

“Of course you’re a person, a wonderful person even.” Hearing that made Blake incredibly happy, even if it was a little corny. ‘So… Blake Schnee or Weiss Belladonna?” Weiss managed to get a laugh out of Blake.  
“Don’t you think you’re going a little fast? But I don’t really want to wear the name of the family that treated the Faunus like yours did, sorry.”

Weiss winced. She understood why Blake thought that way, but it still hurt. The two girls straightened up, facing each other again. “Weiss Belladonna doesn’t sound too bad, at least Yang would stop making puns with my name…”

“It would be Weiss not to underestimate her.” Blake found Weiss sticking her tongue at her incredibly cute, contrasting with her usual demeanor. “Did you have any plan for today?”

Weiss shrugged. “Not really.” She took Blake’s hand in hers, slowly caressing it. “More cuddling?”

Blake smiled. “I like the way you think.”

* * *

Velvet was in front of team RWBY’s door, trying to decide whether to knock or not. After Yang’s call, she hadn’t been able to keep her friends out of her mind, and she only had waited until now to come see them because Coco had stopped her from rushing out of the dorm. Sure, the argument that she had to put on some clothes before leaving the room made sense, but Velvet couldn’t help but worry about Weiss and Blake. She had seen team becoming unable to fight competently because one of their members fell in love with the wrong person, causing a lot of tensions between teammates.

She wanted to make sure everything was alright, but didn’t want to interrupt them if they were still talking. She tried to listen inside the room, but the staff had done a good job of preserving the students’ privacy from nosy Faunus and she couldn’t hear a thing. If she wanted an answer, she would have to knock.

She finally made up her mind and gently hit the door a few times. After waiting for a few moments, the door opened and Velvet was greeted by an ivory-haired girl.

“Hi Velvet.”

It took a moment for Velvet to recognize the girl who opened the door. “W—Weiss?” Weiss’ hair was down, slightly disheveled and she wasn’t wearing her jacket. Velvet was so used to the prim and proper heiress than even a minor change made her think she had the wrong room for a few seconds.

“Don’t stand there, come in.”

Velvet entered the room and waved at Blake, who was sitting on a bed to her left, her hair as disheveled as Weiss’. “Am I interrupting something?” If Velvet guess about what was happening in the room was correct, she didn’t have to worry about those two anymore.

Weiss looked at Blake and the two girls nodded at each other. Weiss gestured at Velvet to sit on the bed facing Blake and went to sit next to her teammate.

Blake took Weiss’ hand in hers and talked to Velvet. “Weiss and I are together.”

“Really? That’s great.” Velvet smiled to the two girls, happy that they finally talked and revealed their feelings to each other. “So I did interrupt something.” Velvet grinned at the two girls whose faces became as red as their leader’s cape.

“That’s not…”

“We weren’t…”

Blake and Weiss both tried to explain themselves at the same time, interrupting each other and making Velvet laugh. “You two are adorable.” Velvet took a deep breath to calm herself. “What you do when you’re alone is your business, but if I can give you one advice, it’s to avoid going faster than your comfortable with.”

Weiss noticed a hint of sadness in her voice. “Are you… speaking from experience.”

There was a heavy silence before Velvet answered. “All I’ll say about this is that I hurt someone and lost a friend.” The message was clear for Weiss and Blake, and neither of them intended to keep talking about the subject.

Seeing that they understood, Velvet changed the subject. “So, how did it happen?”

“I… wasn’t feeling well and Blake came to cheer me up and asked me to be her girlfriend.” Weiss stopped a few seconds, thinking about what she just said. “Actually, how did you know where I was and that I needed you?” Replaying the events in her mind, Weiss realized that Blake’s timing had been very good. Maybe a little too much for a simple coincidence. “You weren’t surprised at all to find me.”

“I err… felt you needed me?”

Weiss’ expression made it clear she wasn’t buying it.

Blake sighed. She had a feeling lies and half-truth wouldn’t work in this relationship and that Weiss wouldn’t let her get away with leaving her in the dark. “Yang called me, asked me what were my feelings toward you and told me you were in the room and needed me. Not as romantic if you ask me.”

“What are you saying you dolt? You were there when I needed you, how is that not romantic?” Weiss gave Blake a light kiss on the lips.

Velvet cleared her throat to remind the two girls of her presence. While she wouldn’t mind watching them make out, she was almost certain they would.

“Sorry.” Weiss’ face was red but she was still holding Blake’s hand. Since it was Velvet, it would be fine. “So, Velvet, what did you want?”

“What?”

“We got a little side-tracked, but you came to see us. Are you and Coco…?”

Velvet shook her head. “No no, Coco and I are fine.” Velvet realized it was a good excuse for her presence here. “T—That’s why I came, to thank you.” Weiss wasn’t completely convinced by Velvet’s explanation, but decided against investigating further. Velvet was their friend, she most likely wasn’t plotting anything nefarious. “When Coco came back to our room after staying with you, she said that we had to talk, and I learned later it was you two that decided her.” 

Velvet stood up and went to sit next to Blake. She felt better talking about love life being close to her friend rather than talking across the room. “Believe me, when your girlfriend tells you she wants to talk just after you had a fight, it’s scary. Very scary. I—I thought she wanted to break up.” Velvet’s voice was shaking, but she managed to calm herself. She didn’t want to break down in front of Weiss and Blake, she was supposed to be the older, wiser huntress-in-training. “I think I didn’t manage to hide it well, because she immediately corrected me. Anyway, she told me everything. She told me how much it hurt her to see me with other people and how we couldn’t keep going on like that. Seeing Coco break down like that… We talked a lot, trying to find a way to make it work. Neither of us wanted to lose what we have, but it’s not that easy.”

Velvet rested her head on Blake’s shoulder, wanting to feel some support. Blake caressed her back, showing said support. Weiss felt a pang a jealousy seeing that, before reminding herself that Blake and Velvet were just friends.

“It’s not the first time I tried to stop sleeping around, but it’s different this time. I’ll do it for Coco, I’ll do my best to not hurt her anymore. I don’t want to see her like this ever again.” Velvet stood up and took the two girls in her arms. “Thank you for talking to her, if you didn’t… It would have blown up sooner or later.”

Blake hugged her friend back while Weiss tensed up. Velvet immediately let her go, remembering that she didn’t like that. “Sorry, I forgot.”

“Don’t worry, I understand.” Weiss didn’t want to make a scene, and Velvet apologized after all.

Velvet looked at Blake and Weiss, seeming a little worried. “Maybe it’s not my business, but doesn’t it causes problems between you two?”

“Actually, Weiss likes hugs a lot when it’s from me.” Blake put an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder with a grin. Weiss didn’t like the idea of being seen as cuddly and wanted to protest, but not only Blake was right, she was also warm and comfortable. Before realizing it, Weiss had put her head against Blake, eyes half closed.

Velvet let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a ‘Squee’ to Weiss’ ears. “I should have taken my camera.”

Weiss opened her eyes and looked at Velvet. Maybe that could be a solution to Blake’s problem. “Velvet, I remember you talking about more…risqué shoots. Does the offer still stand?”

“Of course, did you have something specific in mind?” Velvet wore a big smile. She liked doing shots like that, not that it was something she could really talk about.

Weiss was about to answer before remembering that she couldn’t take this decision alone. She turned toward Blake. “Can I… talk about earlier?”

Blake frowned. She didn’t like the idea of telling people about her reaction, but she decided to trust that Weiss had a good reason to do it.

Weiss turned back toward Velvet and tried to find the best way to explain her idea. “When we were cuddling earlier, Blake felt… uncomfortable about a few things.” Her face was red, not being used to talk about herself in such terms. “I thought that your photos might help us.” Weiss exposed her idea to Blake and Velvet. The three girls agreed to have a photoshoot in the afternoon, even if it would have to be rather short due to Velvet going out with Coco later in the day. Velvet left after they decided on a time to start preparing what they’ll need.

After Velvet’s departure, Blake went to the bathroom and came back with her new nail polish and everything she needed to paint her nails. If she was going to be on the same pictures as Weiss Schnee, she wanted to do her best to not look too bad. She sat on her own bed, facing Weiss.

Weiss looked at her girlfriend working on her nails. The way she moved was graceful and precise, her amber eyes focused on the task at hand, her jet-black hair falling on her shoulders like silk… Blake was incredibly beautiful, and Weiss still had a hard time believing how lucky she was that this gorgeous woman fell in love with her. She felt like she was melting when Blake raised her head a gave her a quick smile before getting back to her nails.

The heiress was pulled out of her trance by the sound of her scroll. Jaune had sent her a message to tell her that the doctors had done a good job and Pyrrha had woken up, feeling pretty well for someone that had been hit by a Grimm, even if a little tired. There was no reason to worry anymore. Weiss decided to tell Blake everything. Pyrrha probably wouldn’t mind.

“Blake, can we talk or do you need to focus?”

“As long as you don’t ask me to improvise an ode to your beauty.”

Weiss felt herself blushing. “Dolt.” Not that Weiss didn’t like the idea. “Actually, team JNPR is back, I saw them earlier. Pyrrha was hurt.”

Blake stopped what she was doing, looking worried. “Is she going to be alright? How did it happen.”

“A Grimm took her by surprise and managed to land a hit. Her team brought her back to beacon immediately and she is fine, just tired.”

Blake sighed in relief and went back to what she was doing. “Good. I can’t see Pyrrha being the first casualty of our year.” Huntsman was a dangerous occupation, and every year a few students didn’t come back from a mission. “Speaking of JNPR, do you think Jaune will keep going after you now that we’re together?”

“Ugh, I hope not. Maybe this idiot will finally notice that Pyrrha is waiting for him.”

“Do you think we should tell them?” Seeing the confused expression on Weiss’ face, Blake continued. “Other people, about us.”

Weiss took some time to think. “I think we should tell Ruby and Yang. They’re our teammates, they deserve to know.” Blake nodded, agreeing with her girlfriend. “Maybe team JNPR too, but I’d rather not be too public about it, I’m not comfortable with other people seeing me being all lovey-dovey. I—If it’s okay with you.”

“No problems.” Blake smiled at her girlfriend. Weiss was not someone who liked showing her real emotions in public, so it wasn’t that surprising. Blake just hoped that one day, they both would be able to be themselves in public. No lies, no hiding, no bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, and welcome to the author’s note.
> 
> First of all, I’m sorry it took so long to update. As you may have noticed, the wait between chapters is getting longer and longer, the biggest reason is that Volume 4 is underway. What I’m going to do is officially slow down while the show is still running. This way, I’ll be able to catch my breath and also take my time to think about the new elements it brings.
> 
> I will only put something we learn in V4 in if it doesn’t contradict what has already happened and if I can make it fit. If it feels tacked on, I will ignore it.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for making the note so long, but I wanted to be transparent about all that. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed.
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	15. Learning

Blake looked at her nails. She remembered having envied some of the girls she saw in Vale for how pretty their nails were, and it was now her turn to look like she had black gems at the tips of her fingers. She hoped Weiss would like it. She never really cared about what people thought about her appearance, as long as they didn’t shun her for being a Faunus, but she really wanted Weiss to tell her she found it pretty.

Blake looked at the bed on the other side of the room. Her girlfriend had started reading the second volume of ‘Ninjas of love’ and Blake was happy that she seemed to enjoy the books. Seeing that her face was a little red, Blake guessed that she had arrived at the first adult scene of the book, the moment the princess realized that her friendship with her best friend, a fun-loving girl that always knew how to cheer her up, was actually more than friendship. Weiss seemed a lot more interested than she had been with the previous book and Blake could not pass up the opportunity to have a little fun.

“This one seems more to your tastes, want me to give you some time alone?”

Weiss, still engrossed in the book, did not think before answering. “Yes.” The implication of Blake’s words then reached her brain and her face became completely red. “Wait, I mean no. I didn’t mean…” Seeing her girlfriend’s grin, Weiss wanted to smile and laugh with her, but her embarrassment and subsequent anger won over. “Are you just here to be mean or did you want something?” Weiss didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but as much as she wanted to be able to joke about those things with Blake, she still felt uncomfortable.

Blake was taken aback by Weiss’ reaction, not expecting her to reply that way. She frowned slightly and kept looking at Weiss in silence, knowing the direct confrontation would only end in screams.

“Don’t look at me like that!” The longer Blake looked at her without moving, the guiltier Weiss felt. “Fine, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. But you know I don’t like talking about that.”

Blake nodded. She wasn’t entirely blameless. “You’re right, I should have remembered. It’s just… When ten people live in a place made for four, privacy is not really a luxury they can afford. When two people that were dating locked themselves in a room and came out later out of breath, everyone knew what just happened and the discussions quickly became… Well, let’s just say I heard a lot of things, and I’m not really used to censoring myself that much.” Blake wasn’t that bad compared to some of her ex-friends, she was more the type to use double entendre than to be outright explicit, so it hadn’t been too hard for her to restrain herself at Beacon. At least for what she said, her thoughts were another story. She remembered the time they met Weiss’ old ‘friends’, who also seemed to like implying more than being direct. “Is it because of Aure that you don’t like talking about it?”

Weiss sighed. She was the one that made Blake promise to talk about her problems instead of running away, she could hardly refuse to at least try talking about hers. “Not her in particular, but the general mindset of the people I spent time with, yes. Admitting to doing…” Weiss’ face was now completely red. “…Things like that by yourself was considered ridiculous since you could ask anyone to sleep with them and they would agree, especially if you were from one of the richest family like me. But I guess not wanting to sleep with the first person that asks makes me a frigid b—.” Weiss stopped herself, the anger she felt when she remembered the way people talked about her when they thought she couldn’t hear them making it hard to talk.

Blake’s eyes widened. She had understood from meeting Aure and Umber and hearing the rumors in the Fang that those people were together only because of their parents’ money and weren’t friends, but she thought they were at least amicable toward each other. “Saying things like that is awful.” Blake sat down next to her girlfriend and put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her. “You know, I like that romantic side of yours.” Weiss had a small smile hearing her girlfriend’s words and put her head on her shoulder. As long as she had Blake, she didn’t care what other people said. “And I’m pretty sure most of were having some fun times when they were alone and were just being hypocrites. You don’t have to be ashamed. I do it,” Blake blushed saying that. Giving that much personal information was still embarrassing, “Yang does it, Ruby—” Bad example. “Velvet does it, it’s not ridiculous.”

Weiss was feeling a little better, but her face was still red. She understood what Blake was doing, but it was still more information than she wanted about her friends. “Blake, I… I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but could we talk about something else? I’ll think about what you said, but for now…” Weiss wanted to be able to have intimate conversations with Blake, but she knew it would take her some time to not feel like wanting to run when the subject came.

“Of course. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t want to make fun of you, I just wanted to have fun with you.” 

“Thank you.” Weiss felt warm hearing that. Blake could be so nice that it was hard for Weiss to imagine her in the White Fang at times. “You said you didn’t have a boyfriend in the White Fang, but d—did you… did you…” Weiss couldn’t finish her sentence, the words caught in her throat. She knew she was being stupid, but she didn’t like the idea of Blake being more experienced than her. She didn’t want to be the ignorant virgin, stumbling around while Blake knew what she was doing. She always imagined her first partner and herself discovering things together, making mistakes and learning more about their bodies at the same time, but if Blake had already done it, she would rather know as soon as possible.

“Did I have sex? No. Like you, I wanted to wait for the good person. Not my soulmate or anything like that, but at least someone I had feelings for and not just a friend that happened to be there at the time. Maybe there would at least have been some kissing and groping if not for, ironically, the guy I would have considered having a relationship with.”

“Adam.”

Blake could hear in her voice that Weiss did not enjoy what she was learning, but Blake would rather avoid having her past catch up to her later, probably at the worst moment possible. 

Blake was about to continue when Weiss put a finger in her lips and patted her thighs, inviting Blake to rest her head on them. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy for Blake, at least she would be comfortable. 

Blake didn’t let the opportunity pass and rested her head on her girlfriend’s lap, stealing a kiss on the way. She didn’t know if it was because she was a cat Faunus or because of Weiss’ incredibly beautiful legs, and she didn’t care, but she immediately felt better. “I told you I thought I was attracted to him, and I’m pretty sure he knew it, but he ignored me when I tried to… show my interest in him. I thought I had no chances and started getting close to other guys, and that’s the moment he got very possessive. I didn’t mind at first since I finally got his attention, but I quickly noticed that something wasn’t right. Every time I tried to have a moment for myself, he was there, the guys I flirted with began avoiding me…” Blake paused for a moment, catching her breath. It wasn’t easy to remember all that, but she wanted Weiss to know. “The last straw was the time he caught me reading ‘Ninjas of Love’. We were in the woods, planning to attack a train that passed through the forest. He entered my tent and took the book from my hands, read a few lines and closed it. I could see he was trying to hide his anger and I—I was scared of what he was going to do. Then he said ‘You don’t have to read this filth my love, I can help you if you have needs’ and left the room. We attacked the train a few hours after that and I used the opportunity to escape. Thankfully, I was already planning to leave so I was mostly ready to run away and it went well.” Weiss could feel that Blake was shaking at the memories. “He used to be the only person I could trust, and yet…” Tears started forming on the corners of her eyes, scared of what could have happened had she stayed. “I—I don’t know what he would have done if I didn’t leave. Probably nothing, b—but I didn’t… didn’t feel safe.”

Weiss felt her blood freeze at Blake’s words, before remembering what she knew about the White Fang. They were thieves and murderers, but even they had limits and the punishment for those that crossed them was incredibly harsh. Blake was probably biased because she saw him turn into a monster and assumed the worst. It didn’t matter anymore. Blake was with her, at Beacon, far from all that. Weiss slowly caressed the Faunus’ head, trying to help her calm down. “It’s over Blake, you managed to escape, you’re safe now.” 

Blake buried her face in Weiss’ dress, trying to hide the redness on her cheeks. They stayed like that until Blake’s shaking stopped and she finally moved her head. Weiss noticed a few wet spots on her dress near where Blake’s eyes had been but didn’t mention it. She decided to ask about something she had wondered about since she had learned of Blake’s ties with the White Fang. “If… If the White Fang went back to its non-violent ways and Adam wasn’t in it, would you go back?”

Blake didn’t answer immediately. It was a question she had asked herself multiple times, when she left, when she enrolled at Beacon, during her first night in the ballroom, after joining team RWBY, after her big fight with Weiss… She never managed to make up her mind for good. But things were different now. “The White Fang is—was fighting for equality, for Faunus to be able to live among humans and outside of Menagerie. But at Beacon… At Beacon, I met team JNPR, I met Coco and Velvet, I met Ruby and Yang. And I met you. I know I’m being selfish, but going back to the Fang would mean leaving everyone, and I don’t think I could do it. Not to mention they would consider me a traitor for dating you.”

“Because… of me?” Weiss knew the White Fang hated her and her family, but going after Blake for that?

“Even Faunus that don’t support the Fang don’t really like the Schnees. If they ever find out that a Faunus is dating the heiress…” Blake stopped herself when she saw Weiss frowning.

Weiss didn’t like what she just learned. She didn’t care if people didn’t like her, she was used to it, but if they went after Blake because of her…

Blake saw the eyes of her girlfriend grow cold and for an instant she was reminded of the stories of the people that had fought her sister. The icy eyes of the Schnees as they watched the blood of the Faunus run in the streets, she remembered them saying. Blake scolded herself. It was Weiss, her girlfriend and the dork that liked to cuddle with her, not some sort of cold-blooded murderer. “Don’t worry honey, I can defend myself.”

Weiss was caught off-guard by the nickname and stumbled on her words. “I—I know… I just… I didn’t…” She frowned when her girlfriend started laughing. “If you continue being mean, I’ll have to withhold kisses.”

Blake stopped laughing and raised an arm, her hand caressing Weiss’ face. A small noise escaped her lips as she pouted. “Nooooooooooooo…”

If Blake was going to be this adorable, not kissing her would be a lot harder than Weiss had originally thought. Looking at the hand that was near her face, she finally noticed that Blake’s nails. “Oh, you finished painting your nails? It looks really good on you.” Blake’s expression changed to surprise, then a big smile appeared on her face.

“You noticed.” That simple fact made Blake very happy. “When I started wearing eye shadow, no one noticed. The people in the White Fang didn’t care for appearances, but I was hoping for… I don’t know, someone to make a comment? I kept putting it on for a week, hoping that someone would say something.” Blake’s smile was replaced by disappointment. “The only thing I got was Adam telling me it was stupid and I would only draw more attention to myself.”

“It’s not stupid, it goes really well with your eyes.” Weiss was still caressing Blake’ head, trying to avoid the bow. As much as she wanted to touch Blake’s wonderful cat ears again, she knew it wasn’t easy for her girlfriend to let them out.

Blake was about to thank Weiss again when she was interrupted by the sound of Weiss’ stomach. She smiled at the embarrassed girl. “Maybe we should go eat before joining Velvet.”

* * *

Weiss knocked on the door to Velvet’s studio, Blake slightly behind her. The Faunus was starting to have second thoughts about Weiss’ plan, but wasn’t sure how to tell her.

Velvet opened the door, letting the two girls in, and closed it immediately, not wanting some passerby to see them. She turned toward the couple, having a hard time containing her excitement. “So, ready to pose?”

“I… I’m not sure.” Blake spoke up. While she thought Weiss’ idea of familiarizing herself with seeing the heiress in more submissive situations had some merits, some parts of it made her uncomfortable. “It might help me, but I don’t like the idea of treating Weiss like… like that.”

Weiss looked at Blake in the eyes. She wasn’t surprised by her reaction and she had already thought about what she was going to say. “Blake, we’re going to roleplay, you’re not really going to treat me badly.”  
“But what if I lose control? What if I try to hurt you?” Blake still remembered Adam’s voice and she couldn’t stand the idea of hurting Weiss.

“You won’t.” There was no hesitation in Weiss’ voice. “You’re here at Beacon because you hate the idea of innocents being hurt. I’m sure you won’t hurt me.” A weight seemed to disappear from Blake’s shoulders and a small smile started to creep up on her face. “Besides, I’m not a porcelain doll, I won’t break just because you’re a little rough with me.”

Blake’s burgeoning smile was replaced by a little smirk. Her girlfriend was kinkier than her title of heiress and behavior lead to believe, and Blake loved that. “Are you sure we’re doing this for me? You seem to enjoy the idea of me being rough a lot.”

Weiss blushed but her small smile didn’t disappear. “I don’t hate the idea.”

Velvet cleared her throat, reminding the couple of her presence. “Not that I don’t like hearing you talk about your fetishes, but there is something I wanted to ask you before we start.”

Weiss blushed even harder. “S—Sorry. What is it?” She hoped the red on her cheeks would disappear before starting the shoot.

“Don’t you think you two are going a little fast? You just got together this morning.”

Weiss had expected the question to come up at some point and already knew what her answer was. “Do you know Pyrrha Nikos?” A mostly rhetorical question. Who didn’t?

Velvet nodded. “She won the Mistral regional tournament multiple times, was on the front of some cereal box and took on an entire team during sparring class.”

“It was only team CRDL,” Blake mumbled. She didn’t want to downplay Pyrrha’s achievement, but she had her pride and felt that team RWBY would have been able to beat her. “They can’t work together to save their lives, Cardin even smashed Dove in the face.”

Weiss was surprised by Blake’s recollection of the scene since it happened during the time she only thought about finding the White Fang. “You remembered all that?”

“It’s important to know the strength and weaknesses of the people we might have to fight along with.” Blake cheeks were red, and she deliberately avoid mentioning that she had a recording of the fight on her scroll because she found Pyrrha beating a bunch of bullies very cathartic.

Weiss squinted at Blake. Not only was she sleep deprived at the time, she was almost always reading during sparring classes, not paying attention to the fights. She decided to drop the subject. She didn’t like Blake hiding things from her, but she knew she shouldn’t. Blake had the right to her privacy, especially since she was hiding things herself. “Anyway, even with how strong she is, Pyrrha got hurt this morning.” Seeing Velvet’s worries on her face, Weiss quickly reassured her. “Nothing too bad, she’s fine and resting now. But it’s clear that even her can get hurt, so maybe… someone won’t come back from a mission one day. And if it’s Blake or me… I don’t want to spend the rest of my life thinking ‘we should have done this together’ or ‘I should have told her this very important thing’. As long as we both agree to do it, we’re not going too fast.”

Blake moved closer to her girlfriend and took her hand, showing her support. Not only were their missions dangerous, they also both had the Fang going after them, Weiss because she was a Schnee and herself for her betrayal.

Velvet nodded and smiled at Weiss. “Thank you, that’s what I wanted to know.” She looked one last time at her camera, confirming that everything was correctly set up. “Everything is ready on my side so we can start whenever you want.”

The set was pretty basic, Velvet having arranged a sofa and a comfy-looking armchair in a way that allowed them to be used individually in shoots, as well as leaving an area free of furniture’s. Weiss and Blake moved in front of the camera, ready to begin.

Suddenly, Blake grabbed Weiss by the front of her dress and pulled her close to her. “On your knees, princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, commentsare always welcomed.
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	16. Roleplaying

Hearing Blake’s imperious tone, Weiss’ knees almost buckled under her. Something about her girlfriend ordering her around felt really good, as for once she knew she could trust the person making decisions for her. The only reason she didn’t obey was because there was something she wanted to do before really starting. “W—Wait. Before that, I would like to have a… normal photo, just the two of us.” 

Blake’s expression went back to the soft smile Weiss was growing very fond of and they both faced the camera, their arms around the other’s waist. The heiress rested her head on the Faunus’ shoulder and they both smiled at the camera.

Velvet was also smiling as she took the photo. Coco was a great model, but a young couple in love was something else entirely. The way they looked at each other, the way they were staying close to the other, sometimes holding hands and sometimes only caressing their lover’s fingers… All of that made for great photos and Velvet was thankful to Blake for suggesting her teammate as a model. She would never have asked Weiss to model for her by herself, and only her friend vouching for her convinced her to try having the Schnee heiress as a model. Not that she should have judged her based on her family name, but everyone makes mistakes.

Velvet was working on the framing when she got an idea. “Do you want the picture in color or in black and white?”

Weiss was the one that answered first. “Color. Blake’s eyes are too pretty for them not to be in color.”

Blake smiled at the compliment. “Your eyes are very pretty too. They are like the ice that never melt at the top of a mountain, they—”

“Fine, fine. I’ll take it in color, just... spare me the sickly-sweet couple act please.”

The two girls laughed at Velvet’s reaction to their joke and went back into position for the photo. After hearing the sound of the picture being taken, Weiss went to see the result, almost running. “So, how did it come out?”

Velvet connected her scroll to the camera and brought up the photograph she just took. “Looks really nice. You two are so adorable together. I didn’t notice it earlier, but your necklace is pretty cute Weiss.” Weiss was wearing her new necklace, the black cat contrasting with her white skin.

“Thank you, it’s a gift from Blake.” Weiss caressed the necklace tenderly, like it was Blake herself. “Is it possible to send the picture to my scroll? I’d like to have a picture of Blake and I.” Having a picture of her and her girlfriend on her scroll that she could look at any time she wanted was something she always wanted to do.

“Sure, I’ll send it to you. Blake, do you want it as well?” Blake nodded and Velvet sent the picture to the two girls, who saved it on their scroll as soon as they got the message.

The couple went back in front of the camera, the two girls looking nervous about what they were about to do. Even with everything she said earlier, Weiss was still going to give Blake a lot of control over her, making her feel excited and scared at the same time.

Weiss took the initiative and kneeled in front of Blake, hoping that she would get more comfortable as they went on. She raised her head and looked at Blake, her eyes asking her girlfriend to take the lead. Her frown had disappeared, leaving only a young woman who wanted to leave everything in the hands of her partner.

Seeing her girlfriend look at her like that, Blake’s body moved on its own. She squatted in front of the kneeling girl and grabbed her head with her right hand, her thumb caressing the scar that crossed the blue eye. It wasn’t a tender caress but a declaration. Weiss was hers, and she would do whatever she wanted her to. “Let’s have some fun.” A small smirk appeared on Blake’s lips, making a shiver go down Weiss spine.

At that moment, Blake heard a voice. “This is your chance Blake. Kill her now and put down the first stone of the road to freedom for the Faunus.” She couldn’t mistake those words for anyone but Adam’s. Always so dramatic, and the freedom of the Faunus being the only thing on his mind, no matter what sacrifice he had to make to get it. If Weiss’ idea managed to help her get rid of him, her life would only be improved.

“Shut up Adam.” Blake didn’t know if anyone heard her, but if they did, they didn’t show any sign of it.

The sound of the camera could be heard in the room, but it had been decided beforehand that Blake and Weiss would do their own thing and Velvet would take care of making the photos as nice as she could. They wouldn’t be as good as they could, since the subjects didn’t stop moving, but the rabbit Faunus hopped their spontaneity would make up for that. 

Blake suddenly stood up, still holding Weiss’ head. She wanted to show some initiative and just got an idea of how they should start the scene, with her seating on the chair. For that, she had to drag the heiress toward the other part of the set. Unfortunately, Weiss was taken by surprise and couldn’t stand up fast enough, almost falling on the floor before managing to grab onto something to stop herself. The Faunus stopped moving, realizing her mistake when she felt her shorts being pulled down by the weight of the girl clinging to them. 

The heiress’ reflexes kicked in and a glyph appeared to stop her from hitting the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief, having avoided what was a pretty humiliating experience in her opinion, and raised her head, finding herself in front of a pair of purple panties. Realizing what had happened, she felt her face starting to burn in embarrassment and hopped Blake wasn’t too mad at her.

“You should have asked if you wanted to see them that much.” Blake smiled at Weiss, not bothered at all by what just happened. She helped her get up and pulled back her shorts. “Are you all right?”

“I—I am. I’m sorry for… for that.” Weiss was mortified to have exposed her girlfriend’s underwear like that. “I didn’t mean… I’m sorry Blake.” Weiss was trying to read Blake’s true emotions, something she was pretty good at hiding when she wanted.

“Don’t worry about that. You’ve seen me wearing less,” Blake could have sworn she heard a small squee coming from the photographer, “and I’m sure that was not enough to bother Velvet.” Weiss blushed, remembering that Velvet was also in the room and got an eyeful of Blake’s panties.

“Don’t worry about me.” Velvet decided to try and put Weiss’ worries at rest. “As long as I’m behind the camera, I won’t interfere. You could start banging right there and I would stay where I am. The only exception is if Blake lose control, like she was worried about earlier.”

Weiss and Blake turned crimson at the image Velvet just put in their head, the heiress being the first one to manage to get back on topic. “Maybe we should communicate a little more. I appreciate you taking the lead and getting in character, but we’re not going to do a lot if I keep falling.”

Blake nodded. “You’re right, I’ll try to be clearer. For now, I’d like to sit on the chair with you on the floor next to me.” There was a silence while the girls realized that saying it like that each time would completely kill the mood. “I’ll work on how to tell you all that. Also, could you remove your jacket?”

Weiss didn’t hesitate and removed it while they went toward the chair and Velvet made the necessary adjustments to her camera.

Blake removed the ribbon covering her ears and used it to bind Weiss’ wrist behind her back. She left it lax, so that her girlfriend could free herself if she wanted, but tight enough to tell her she wasn’t supposed to. A satisfied smile on her lips, the black-haired girl slowly walked toward the chair, making sure her lover had a nice view of the shaking of her hips. She sat down on the chair, her smile never fading, and crossed her legs before inviting Weiss to join her with a sign of her hand. The smaller girl understood what she was supposed to do and kneeled down next to her, resting her head on her tight. She did her best to ignore the warmth of the Faunus’ toned leg and look appropriately submissive. She felt Blake put a hand on her head, slowly caressing it. It was different from the way she usually touched her, there was affection but no love in her caress, like she was petting an animal. The catgirl smirked at the camera. She was the Faunus that finally brought the haughty Weiss Schnee to her knees. Many tried, but only her could enjoy the feeling of the soft white hair running through her fingers.

Blake heard Adam’s voice once more, but ignored it. He had no power over her, not anymore.

The grinning Faunus took the kneeling girl’s chin with her hand and forced her to look into her amber eyes. “So beautiful. It would be such a shame if something were to happen to your pretty face.” A soft noise escaped Weiss’ throat, a mix of fear and excitement. The black-haired girl made a quick movement with her head, indicating she was about to stand up. Her girlfriend stumbled a little, not being used to having her hands tied like that, but the two girls managed to stand up and face each other. The smirking Faunus was still forcing the white-haired girl to look up, straight into her eyes. “You’re mine, Schnee.” She brought the heiress’ face close to her own, putting her lips against hers and making her cry in surprise. The kiss was rough, unlike any they shared before. Blake put a sudden end to it and ran her tongue along the heiress’ scar, asserting her dominance. “Now, why don’t we get you out of this dress.” 

She moved her hand to the top of the dress, preparing to remove it, when Weiss stepped back. “Wait, no.”

Blake wasn’t sure whether it was still roleplay or not, and decided to play it safe. “Are you still roleplaying or…?” Weiss shook her head. “I—I’m sorry, I went too far and—”

Weiss was blushing as she interrupted Blake. “That’s not it. I… think I would be fine removing my dress but… I’mnotwearingabra.” The last part of her sentence was spoken too fast to be understood by the two Faunus in the room with her.

Blake had a puzzled look on her face, not sure what her girlfriend’s problem was. “What?” Then, a little softer. “You know you can tell me anything, right? I won’t judge you.”

Of course, Weiss knew that, but hearing her girlfriend say it was always welcome. “The problem is… that I’m not wearing a bra.” Weiss’ face was now completely red. “It’s only because my dress double as one so as to limit the amount of clothing to bring on missions. I wear one otherwise.”

Blake couldn’t help but laugh at her girlfriend’s attempt to justify herself. “You can wear the underwear you want, I’m not judging.” Weiss put her head against Blake’s chest, trying to hide how red she was becoming. The Faunus slowly caressed her back, showing her support despite the teasing. “But I understand if you don’t want to show your breasts on camera. I don’t want to do it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Velvet had moved away from the camera and was now near the couple. “I might have a solution if you still want to remove your dress.”

The two girls looked at her with interest. Blake because she was having fun and wanted to keep playing —seeing her girlfriend in her underwear being a nice bonus— and Weiss because she enjoyed the thought of being seen in such a state. It would be going against what she had been taught all of her life, being a prim and proper lady, and having two girls being able to see what she usually hid under her dresses and being exposed to their stare, especially since both Blake and Velvet liked girls and would certainly enjoy the show… She found that thought exhilarating.

“There are bras among the clothes I borrowed from Coco. Just pick one your size that matches what you’re wearing. I promise they’re clean and yes, she does have different sizes.” Velvet smiled at the heiress, hopping she would accept. A pretty girl like her would certainly make for some very good shoots, and she had seen Blake hesitate less as the scene progressed, meaning the heiress’ plan seemed to work out. Continuing to play, even if only for a little while, should be beneficial to the cat Faunus.

Weiss nodded and went toward the pile of clothes, taking her jacket and putting it on a table on the way. Her own clothes would have been a better place to find something that fit her, but she didn’t expect to do shots likes that that soon and hadn’t brought any underwear. She picked a simple black bra that had an embroidered trim, nothing too extravagant but still nice to look at and with no risks of a wardrobe malfunction. She liked the possibility of being seen, not actually being exposed. She asked Blake and Velvet to turn around while she changed and the two girls complied, leaving her some privacy.

While the heiress was changing, Velvet took the opportunity to give Blake her opinion on her girlfriend. “Blake, that girl is amazing, don’t let her go.”

Blake blushed and smiled a little at her friend complimenting her girlfriend. “She is. I—I still can’t believe she is willing to do all that to help me. Velvet, I’m so happy to be with her.”

Velvet decided not to comment on the fact that Weiss did seem to enjoy what she was doing a lot, not wanting to undermine her desire to help Blake. “I sincerely hope it will work out in the long run. If you ever have trouble with your couple, please don’t hesitate to talk about it with someone. I’m always available if you want to share something.”

Blake didn’t want to think of things going south between her and her girlfriend, but she knew it probably wouldn’t be perfect. “Thank you. I hope it won’t get to that, but I’ll remember it if it ever does.”

“You can look.” Weiss had finished changing and managed to get the courage to call out to the two Faunus. Actually showing her underwear was a lot harder than just imagining doing it. She was standing there, her dress neatly folded on the table next to her and her boots on the floor next to it, wearing the bra she picked earlier and a pair of simple panties. They both were the same color and had an embroidered trim, but were slightly mismatched. It saddened the girl wearing them a little that she could get a matching ensemble, but it was the closest she found and she didn’t want to go back to her room just for that. She quite liked the contrast of her skin with the black of the underwear, the color of the panties also saving her from further embarrassment as Blake played with her, and hopped it would look good on camera.

Blake couldn’t look at anything other than the girl in front of her. She had other things on her mind the time they showered together, but this time she could full appreciate how beautiful her girlfriend was. While she was used to seeing her legs, she could now fully admire the firm muscles playing under the pale skin, unobstructed by the skirts the heiress usually wore, and the rest of her body followed suit. The catgirl was entranced by the perfect alabaster skin, fascinated by the contrast created by the black pieces of clothes covering her body, enthralled by the faint redness on the cheeks of the girl exposing herself. She couldn’t think straight anymore and let her actions speak for her. 

A few quick steps brought her right next to the almost naked girl and she was carrying her bridal style a few seconds later. She took her to the sofa and laid her there, beginning to kiss her as soon as she wasn’t the one stopping her from falling on the floor. Her hands were running all over the small girl’s body, trying to enjoy her presence like she was afraid it was just a dream about to disappear. The Faunus let her instincts take over and her kisses started to reach other places than the heiress’ mouth. She kissed her jaw, then moved along her neck, feeling every ragged breath the white-haired girl took and continued along her collarbone. Blake then felt an impulse and bit the pale skin, marking Weiss as hers. The small girl let out a moan as she felt the teeth sink in her skin, sending a wave of pleasure through her entire body. The Faunus moved back a little, taking in what she had done. She saw the red marks, glistening slightly with her saliva, heard the uneven breathing of her girlfriend and realized that she might have gone too far.

She suddenly stood up, putting an end to her hugs. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that…”

Weiss tried to reach to the black-haired girl’s face with her hand, wanting to reassure her. “Blake, it’s okay, I don’t mind—”

The sentence was interrupted by a knock on the door. The three girls in the room froze in silence, not expecting anyone. They waited a few moments for the person knocking to go away, as they wouldn’t be able to enter unless Velvet let them in. They were surprised to hear some noises coming from the other side of the door, as if someone was trying to force it open. Velvet made a sign for Weiss and Blake to go hide in the bathroom, as it would be easier for her to deal with whoever was working on the door without a half-naked Weiss and Blake without her bow. She used a remote to turn off the lights, giving herself an advantage if the person trying to force their way in were human and allowing her to blind them by turning them on fully if they were a Faunus. When she installed a remote control for the lights, she was expecting it to be useful for photography, not taking people by surprise.

The door opened, giving into the persistence of the person on the other side, revealing a green-haired girl and the boy with grey hair that was always with her.

“Hello Emerald, Mercury.” Velvet clearly saw them jump when she greeted them, not expecting anyone to be in the room. She increased the light a little, enough for them to recognize her, but still leaving them handicapped in case of a fight. “What are two Haven’s students doing here?” Her tone was nice, but there was a clear accusation in her words. They weren’t supposed to be there, and she wasn’t happy that they were.

Emerald answered the fastest, cutting Mercury before he made things worse. “Hey there… Velvet.” She hopped she got the name right. The rabbit Faunus was not considered a big threat so she still hadn’t read the info Cinder got on her, but she had heard her name because two of her teammate, the giant and the fashionista, were. “We came back from our first mission and Mercury wanted to explore Beacon a little. It’s so embarrassing to be lost…”

The Faunus raised an eyebrow, not convinced by the intruder’s excuse. “And you’re breaking into a locked room for that?”

“Well… Mercury wanted to know what was in. You know how boys are, ha ha…” Velvet was pretty sure that Emerald was lying, but she didn’t want to spend more time confronting them, not with Weiss and Blake hiding in the bathroom. The green-haired girl also didn’t put a lot of efforts in her lies, which meant she didn’t really care whether the Faunus believed her or not and had something else planned in case her cover story didn’t work.

“You’ve seen that there was nothing to see, so it might be better for you to—”

“Is this that ice queen’s dress?” Mercury hadn’t paid much attention to the two girls’ conversation, looking around the room instead. His eyes had fallen on the dress the heiress had left on the table near the entrance, the big snowflake on the jacket making it easy to guess who it belonged to. “Stealing people’s clothes is not nice.”

It was clear to Velvet that Mercury was trying to blackmail her into hiding that they were here. “My friend,” Velvet insisted on the word, making it clear that the boy was about to cross a line and that it would be better for both of them to leave as soon as possible, “Lent me one of her outfits because I wanted to try it and asked her if I could borrow one. Are you saying that because I’m a Faunus, I can only have stolen it? Professor Goodwitch will not appreciate you making such claims.”

Emerald put a hand on Mercury’s arm, leading him toward the door. She wanted to leave before things got worse for them and a teacher was brought in. “Come on, let’s get out.” As the door closed behind them, the green-haired girl gave a last look the Faunus. It was not the embarrassed look of a student caught in the wrong place, but the stare of someone who had been refused something they wanted and weren’t happy about it.

Velvet waited a few moments to be sure they weren’t coming back and called the two girls that were hiding. They came out of the bathroom, Blake having an arm around her girlfriend to make sure she didn’t feel too cold. Her ears were hidden again by her bow and the heiress’ arms were free from the ribbon.

“That was… a little weird.” Weiss was the first one to express what everyone thought about the encounter. She had never talked to Mercury and very rarely to Emerald, but their behavior seemed strange to her.  
“Maybe they just wanted to find a place to have some fun.” Velvet winked at the half-naked girl, making her blush. “I think it would be best to stop it here for today. They killed the mood anyway.” The other girls nodded, agreeing with her. Weiss took her clothes and started going to the bathroom to change when Velvet added something. “There’s a few things I’d like to talk with you two before we say goodbye.” Weiss nodded and went to dress herself.

While the two Faunus waited for the heiress to come out, Blake moved next to Velvet and talked in a low voice. “I wanted to thank you for defending Weiss when Mercury called her an ice queen. She won’t admit it to other people, but she hates that nickname and was really happy when you called her a friend.”

“She is a nice person once you get to know her, I thought it was going to be a lot harder to get along with her.”

“She can definitely get a bit whiny sometimes,” Blake’s smile grew softer, “but yes, she can be really amazing when she wants.”

Velvet looked at her friend, smiling. “I’m glad that you’re happy with her. You know, a Faunus and a Schnee… I hope it’s a sign of what’s to come.” Blake nodded. It wasn’t the reason she was dating Weiss, but she still hopped to be able to make a change.

“Did I miss something?” Weiss came out of the bathroom, fully dressed, thinking that she had heard her name being told by one of her friend.

Velvet threw an innocent smile at Weiss. “Blake was just telling me how sad she was that you’re hiding your cute butt under a dress.”

The white-haired girl blushed, but she almost managed to hide the embarrassment in her voice when she addressed her girlfriend. “I—it’s not that great, especially next to yours.”

Velvet turned toward Blake and voiced her support of Weiss. “She’s right, your butt is pretty amazing.”

Blake couldn’t stop herself from facepalming at the way the conversation was going. “Maybe you could tell us what you wanted to talk about earlier instead of talking about my butt.”

Velvet nodded. “Sorry, I got sidetracked a little.” The smile faded from her face. She needed to be sure they would take her seriously. “What you two did was to put yourself in the state of mind of a White Fang member that had captured a Schnee and was about to do all sorts of things to her. Of course, it was only roleplaying and you wouldn’t do it for real, but it’s still mentally demanding. What you need now is relaxation and comfort. And I’m not talking about “I’ll do my homework to think of something else” but cuddling, staying warm, talking with someone you love… Maybe go take a hot bath together? Eating chocolate works also pretty well.”

“What… happens if we don’t do that?” Weiss’ curiosity got the better of her, even if she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

Velvet sighed. She didn’t like having to remember the risks associated with those games. “For what you did? Not much. It was a short and pretty light scene all things considered. For something more… elaborate? Difficulties concentrating, feelings of worthlessness and pessimism, insomnia, irritability, persistent aches, a few other things… It can even go as far as suicide attempts.” The rabbit Faunus could see the horror on her friends’ face. “I’m not trying to scare you, I just want you to know that there are risks involved when you do what you did.” Velvet smiled, trying to lighten up the mood. “As much as I like ‘Ninjas of Love’, it’s smut, and not really realistic on that point.”

Weiss and Blake chuckled lightly, feeling a little better. After all, they just had to cuddle and everything would be fine.

Velvet continue talking, trying to help her friends to make the most of what had happened. “I also think it would be a good idea to talk about what you did today. Tell the other what you liked, what you disliked, what made you uncomfortable. I don’t know if you plan to do it again, and I would be delighted to keep taking photos if you wish to continue, but knowing more about your partner’s likes and dislikes can only be a good thing.” Velvet checked the time on her scroll and realized how long she had been talking. “Crap, already this late? Sorry, I have to go prepare myself for my date with Coco. I’ll take care of your photos later, then we’ll look through them together, alright?” The two first-year were about to leave when Velvet remembered she still had something to say. “Just one last thing. It was not a problem this time, and maybe it’ll never be one, but Blake, I want you to remember that, as the submissive one, Weiss is the one that as the final say on what is acceptable and what isn’t. She trusts you and gives you power over her. Do not betray that trust.” Blake nodded gravely, understanding the importance of what Velvet had just told her. Now that she thought about it, she saw how much Weis had done for her. Adam would never have let her have any power over him.

Weiss and Blake said goodbye to the rabbit Faunus and took their leave, going back to their room. Once there, they had to decide what they were going to do.

“Do you want to cuddle on my bed? I think it would be better to wait after dinner for a bath.”

Blake smiled at the offer. “I would like that very much.”

Weiss sat on her bed and invited Blake to join her with a sign of her hand. Once they were both comfortable, the heiress pulled a blanket over them as she was feeling a little cold having spent quite some time in only her underwear. She looked at Blake, enjoying how pretty she was when she smiled before looking at the top of her head. “Do you want to remove your bow? I can’t imagine binding your ears being very relaxing.” Seeing Blake’s hesitation, she added, “I promise I won’t touch them don’t worry.”

“It’s not that, it’s… I might put some fur on your pillow, and I now you don’t like us dirtying your things…”

“Don’t worry about that, you dolt. You being comfortable is more important than a pillow. Besides, it’s not dirty, I know you took a shower yesterday.”

Blake smiled at her girlfriend. She appreciated the effort the heiress was doing, remembering how much she screamed the first time she had found a mix of long blond hair and short red and brown hair on her bed one time when the sisters had spent some time on it. Threats had been made against Yang’s hair, which had been met with more threats from the blond, bringing even Ruby and Blake into the argument, and the whole thing only stopped when Pyrrha had said that she would remove every hair from every member of team RWBY if they didn’t stop screaming. The tone used of the usually calm and collected redhead instantly stopped the screaming girls and they all went to bed in silence, waiting for team JNPR to leave for breakfast the next morning before daring to speak again to apologies.

Weiss took her lover’s hand in hers, interlaced their fingers, and whispered “I love you” in her ears, after what Blake nuzzled even closer to her, wanting to feel her presence.

Before long, the Faunus’ amber eyes were half-closed, her lips were forming a small smile and the heiress could feel a small vibration against her chest where the catgirl’s head was touching her. At this time, Weiss discovered two things: her girlfriend could purr, and it was adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may or may not have noticed, the chapters of this story now have real title instead of just being numbered. The last chapter got this story over a hundred follower and I wanted to do something to celebrate, the problem being that the chapters already takes quite some time to be released, so it couldn’t be too time consuming. Hence the chapters’ name.
> 
> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	17. Growing up

Weiss and Blake spent more time cuddling and relaxing before the heiress’ curiosity got the better of her. “Blake, are you… purring?”

The vibrations stopped when the Faunus spoke, “I am”, then started again when she stopped and nuzzled even closer to her girlfriend.

More questions came to Weiss’ mind, but she decided it could wait when she felt the warm body against her. She wanted to enjoy the moment as much as possible, and Velvet even said it was good for her. Who was she to question the benefits of cuddling with the girl she loved?

After a few more moments of silence, the white-haired girl decided to asks her girlfriend a question that had been on her mind since their first kiss. “Blake, when did you fall in love with me?” Hearing Blake say she loved her was one of the happiest day of her life, not only because her affection was not one-sided, but it also was the first time someone said it to her.

The purring stopped while the Faunus thought about her answer. “I… only realized I liked girls very recently, but I think I started being attracted to you a little before that. I think it was when you were the first to realize that I wasn’t feeling well, with the White Fang and all. I was upset at the time that you tried to stop me but once I stopped and thought about it, I was touched that you were worried about me. I wouldn’t say it was love at the time, but it’s when I started looking at you differently.”

“Well of course. You didn’t sleep, you didn’t eat and you stopped paying attention in class, I didn’t like seeing you like that.”

“So it was because my grades were at risk.” Blake couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease her girlfriend about her obsession with her teammates grades. Every time a test was coming up, Weiss would spend a lot of energy to make sure her teammates were ready, and while they were grateful for her efforts, her personal standards were a lot higher than most people, requiring a lot of work to reach.

Weiss frowned. “Of course not, you dolt. I—I know very well what can happen when someone focus too much on something, neglecting everything else, and I didn’t want you to end up like hi—that.”

The heiress slip-up and sad tone remembered Blake the time she told them about her father. “Is it about—”

“I don’t think talking about it will be very relaxing.” Weiss was smiling, but it was clear she wanted to change the subject.

The Faunus wanted to ask more questions about Jacques Schnee, as almost no one knew how he was in private, but it wasn’t worth upsetting her girlfriend over it, not right now. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” Blake interlaced her fingers with those of her girlfriend before returning the question. “And what about you? When did you fall for me?”

“Had I been in my normal state of mind, I would have at least noticed you the first time we met, but since I had to deal with my father’s disapproval and Ruby blowing up my Dust reserves, I was already in a bad mood when you started insulting my family so I had to be a bi—awful and insults you two and leave.” Weiss was too busy being angry at herself to notice Blake’s frown and her hand moving behind her back. “Eek!” The heiress suddenly felt something—or rather, someone—pinching her butt and was unable to contain her scream of surprise. “What was that for?”

“Stop calling yourself that.” Blake tone was serious. She knew they were supposed to be relaxing, but it was too important to ignore.

“Call myself what?”

“Stop calling yourself a bitch. It’s not the first time I hear you almost using it, and even if you stop yourself, I hate it.”

Weiss didn’t understand why it mattered so much to Blake. “It’s a pretty good description of how I was acting.”

“I don’t care!” Blake raised her voice, desperate to find a way for Weiss to understand her. “Please… Just… Try to imagine how it feels to hear that as a Faunus.”

It didn’t take long for Weiss to understand what Blake wanted to tell her. Of course, being called a bitch as a Faunus… it must have been something they had to hear too often, maybe even Blake herself before she decided to hide her ears. “Sorry.” Seeing a small smile on the face of her girlfriend, Weiss made a mental note to be more careful in the future and answered the question she was asked earlier. “I was impressed by how dedicated to your goal you were, by your drive to take on the White Fang and protect innocent people. And a little scared by how far you were willing to go.” Weiss couldn’t help but think of her father, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Except that while her father did it for himself, or the company as he liked to say, Blake did it to improve the life of others.

After spending some more time cuddling with each other, Blake realized she had to do something if they didn’t want to spend to rest of the day in bed. An attractive idea, but they had important things to talk about. “Weiss, I think we should talk about what we did, like Velvet said. I… also have something I’d like to ask you after that.”

Weiss pushed the blanket from them and sat down on the bed. Lying down with Blake’s face so close to hers would make it hard to concentrate on a serious conversation.

After a small awkward silence, Blake was the first to speak. “Did you… like it? What we did. I mean, I did treat you like… well, like I captured you or something.” Blake remembered that Weiss had told her beforehand that she didn’t mind, but a part of her still felt bad for what she did and she wanted to make sure Weiss didn’t have any regrets.

Weiss gave a quick kiss to her girlfriend before answering. “I did. It’s hard to explain, but I felt… safe, like I could forget everything and only listen to your voice, and everything would be fine. What about you?”

“It was… an interesting experience. It was fun to pretend to be someone else, and if you enjoyed it, then I’m happy that we did it.”

“Was it not too hard to play a White Fang Member?”

Blake thought back on how she felt at the time. “That was the part I didn’t enjoy as much. I felt myself slipping into the mentality a little too easily, going back to thinking the same way I did at the time. I—I don’t want that, so…”

“You don’t want to do it again?” Weiss was a little disappointed, but she understood why it was hard for Blake and didn’t hold it against her.

“No, I just don’t want to play a White Fang member. An unidentified group of criminal capturing the Schnee heiress? It wouldn’t change a lot, only making it easier for me to have fun.” The Faunus grinned at her girlfriend and was rewarded with a spark of lust in her icy blue eyes.

“Well, I guess that we’ll have to look into doing it again.” Weiss’ eagerness to roleplay again surprised even herself. Was it acceptable for someone in her position to enjoy being treated that way? It didn’t matter, she liked what she liked, and as long as Blake was with her, she didn’t care about anything else. “What about Adam? Did it help?”

Blake’s smile disappeared hearing his name. She wanted to be able to stop feeling so bad every time his name was mentioned, but his influence on her life could still be felt. Fading, but still there. “I heard him. He—He told me to take advantage of the situation and kill you. I ignored it and I heard him less and less as time went one, but… I’m sick of hearing his voice when we’re together.”

Weiss took her girlfriend’s hand in hers and put her head on her shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll manage to get rid of him, you’re too stubborn to let him win.”

Blake was about to tickle Weiss for her teasing, but feeling the body of the small girl against hers made her reconsider. She was too comfortable to make her move.

“Blake, does my scar bother you?”

The catgirl was surprised by the question she felt came out from nowhere. “What? Of course not.”

“You can tell me you know. I know that, even if I don’t mind it, it’s not the case for most people. ‘The disfigured heiress’, ‘Defaced beauty’, ‘Will Weiss Schnee show her face in public again?’… those were titles from newspapers for weeks after I got it.” Weiss didn’t want to show her self-esteem issues to Blake, but the focus on her scar her girlfriend showed earlier had affected her and she couldn’t hide it completely. “Compared to Coco, Yang, Pyrrha, you… I know I’m not that pretty.” She tried to hide behind a small smile, but her girlfriend could see right through her.

Blake reluctantly moved away from Weiss to look at her in the eyes. “Weiss, I love you, but sometimes you just don’t make any sense. You are beautiful, and even you don’t get to say otherwise. And don’t compare yourself to Yang or Pyrrha. They are beautiful, yes, but not in the same way as you are. They’re… strong, sexy warriors while you are a graceful and beautiful princess.” She wanted to hit herself for how corny she sounded, but it was still better than hearing Weiss say stupid things like that.

“You’re telling a huntress in training that she doesn’t look like she can fight? How awful of you.” Weiss had a little smirk. She didn’t want to be lectured, and hiding behind sarcasm almost always worked.

Blake frowned. She hated when her girlfriend did that. “Weiss!” The heiress jumped, surprised by the sudden outburst. “Stop doing that. You told me that I should come to my teammates when I have a problem, but you can’t even be honest with your own girlfriend.”

Weiss knew that Blake was right. She should be talking to her, not making jokes when she was trying to comfort her. But it wasn’t that easy, not when she spent her life hiding from even her family. “And what do you want me to say? That people always told me that I should pad my dresses so I look like I have a bigger chest? That I should go out more because my skin makes me look sick? That I should wear higher heels because I’m too small? I had people analyzing my appearance all the times, at parties, in the papers, in my own house. I know I should ignore them, but sometimes… sometimes I—I just can’t.” Her voice was getting louder and louder but broke in the end.

Blake took Weiss in her arms and held her against her chest. “Let it all out.”

The heiress didn’t resist the embrace and let her anger take over. “They all want to control me, to tell me how to act, how to dress, to tell me who I should be, they want me to be the perfect little trophy. Well, too bad, I’m me and no one else. I hate them all!” She had to stop to catch her breath and Blake took the opportunity to start caressing her back, trying to soothe her.

“Don’t worry, it’s just the two of us here.” Feeling her girlfriend getting calmer, Blake decided to explain her behavior during the photoshoot. “I’m sorry about focusing so much on your scar, I just find it attractive and like caressing it, I didn’t mean anything else by it. I should have known how it felt to have some part of you having so much focus.”

“No.” Weiss lifted her head and looked into the amber eyes of the Faunus. She had to look at her to say what she wanted to say. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken it on you, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“It’s fine, you got to talk about it. Did it feel good?” Blake put a quick kiss on Weiss’ lips, making her smile.

“It did, thank you.” Weiss went back to cuddling with her girlfriend. “Let’s talk about something else. About the licking and biting…”

“Right, that.” Blake felt ashamed, remembering how she got carried away and let her instincts take over. “Listen Weiss, I’m—”

“Wait.” Weiss remembered Blake’s expression after biting her and guessed that she regretted having done it. For this reason, she wanted to give her opinion before she apologized again. “Please, let me talk.”  
Blake nodded.

“The licking didn’t do anything for me, but I didn’t hate it, so it’s up to you if you want to do it or not. The biting… I loved it.” Weiss’ cheeks went red but she no other signs of embarrassment. She was getting used to this. “Not in the ‘tear your flesh and eat you’ sense of course, but the way you did it felt… good.”

Blake was happy to hear that Weiss had enjoyed it, but it did not completely put her worries to rest. “You didn’t find it a little too… feral?”

“Blake, we’ve both read ‘Ninjas of love’, you know that it’s something humans also do, right?” 

Blake was a little upset that Weiss had hit the nail so perfectly on the head. “Yes, but I’m not human. Are you sure it doesn’t bother you?”

“Yes Blake, I’m sure. I have no problem as long as you don’t draw blood.” Weiss was getting a little annoyed by Blake’s insistence, but she understood where she was coming from. “Well, there is one thing. My skin marks really easily, so I’d appreciate if you could avoid doing it on places I can’t hide.”

Blake flashed a little smirk at her girlfriend. “Like here?” She put her lips on her girlfriend’s neck and started working on leaving a mark.

Weiss could feel the lips sucking and the teeth scrapping against her skin, but she was too surprised to say anything and by the time she recovered, Blake had moved back was looking at her, licking her lips with a satisfied smile.

“Wha— You…” Weiss stood up and went to check herself in the mirror of the bathroom. There was no way she could hide it without wearing a scarf, and while the weather was slowly growing colder, it was still way too soon for that. She quickly came back, frowning at her girlfriend. “I hope your happy, it’s not going away for at least a week.” She sat back down on the bed, arms crossed, too upset to go back to cuddling.

“Are you really that upset?”

“I don’t know Blake, am I upset that my girlfriend didn’t listen to me and did something I specifically told her not to?”

Blake felt her stomach drop. She just wanted to tease Weiss, have a little fun, but she had upset her and now she wasn’t sure what to do. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

Weiss was about to retort that it wouldn’t change the fact that she had a big mark on her neck that would be hard to hide, but seeing the distress on Blake’s face made her reconsider and a little voice made herself heard. “Come on Weiss, you know Blake was just playing around, you don’t have to be so stuck up all the time. You haven’t been together for a day and you already got angry at her twice, how long do you think she’ll put up with your insecurities?”

_Shut up! But you’re right, Blake deserves to be with someone that won’t blow up every time she does something and I’ll do my best to be this person._

Weiss took Blake’s hand and forced herself to look at her in the eyes. She didn’t like what she was about to do, but she had to do it. After all, Velvet had said they had to be honest. “Listen, all of this… everything we’re doing is new to me. I’ve never been this close to someone, I have no idea what I’m doing and I don’t want to mess it up, but I need some time to get used to… everything. I know I’m not the most pleasant person to be around, but I’ll try to work on that.”

“Don’t worry, I should have known what I was getting into.” Blake tried to make a joke to lighten up the mood and the small smile that appeared on her girlfriend’s face showed that it worked, at least a little. “Couldn’t you use your Aura to remove it?”

“I’m… not good at using my Aura for healing. My father always insisted that our doctor do it every time I got hurt to make sure it healed perfectly, and the only time I did it myself, well…” Weiss raised her hand and caressed her scar.

“Want me to give it a try?” Seeing her girlfriend nod, Blake brought her hand on Weiss’ neck, where she had left a mark. Her hand glowed purple and the light moved to the heiress’ pale neck, repairing the damaged blood vessels and cleaning up the blood under the skin. She finished by giving a light kiss to the place the mark used to be, hoping the Weiss wouldn’t still be angry. “There, no mark left. I’ll keep those kinds of things for our roleplay time from now on.”

Weiss decided that they were no reasons to further withhold cuddles and went back to being as close to Blake as possible. After some time spent enjoying the feeling of her skin against that of the girl she loved, Weiss remembered something Blake had said. “You said earlier you wanted to ask me something.”

Blake tensed up. She knew she had to talk to Weiss about this, she just hoped she could have done it later, maybe in the evening. Or the next day. Or the next week. But she had known she would try to avoid it and mentioned it to Weiss on purpose. She could almost see the smug smile of her past self that managed to force her to talk. “Could we… Could we work together? Lately, I’ve been having trouble with school work and my grades have been suffering, especially for everything that is mostly theory. Fighting and survival classes? No problem, that’s what I’ve been doing before coming to beacon, but Dust theory and history that isn’t about Faunus? I never learned that. I tried to read books about the subject but there is so much that I don’t know where to start.”

“Of course I’ll help you, but why didn’t you come to me, or anyone, sooner?” Weiss was always happy to help other people with their work, as long as they were trying to improve and not get her to do the work in their stead.

“I didn’t want you or Yang or Ruby to think I was stupid.”

“We would never think that of you. And Ruby and Yang’s grades are far from stellar.”

“But Ruby still manages to get above the average while having skipped two years ahead, and Yang’s ranking in sparring is in the top five of the class with Pyrrha and you. Speaking of you, you also get the best grade at every test they throw at us while I’m—I’m dragging the team down.”

Weiss frowned. Blake was far from stupid, and she was sure than a few hours of studying together would be enough to get her above the level of an average Beacon student. “Then let’s work together. With me tutoring you, you’ll be one of the best students in no time.”

Blake rolled her eyes at Weiss’ boast, but she was touched that Weiss was so willing to help her. She had offered to tutor Ruby and Yang in the past —only Ruby had accepted— but since Blake had hid her grades from her teammates, she never asked her. “Do you think we could start now since we have a little time?” The sisters’ absence would make it easier to focus.

“Sure.” The two girls went to Blake’s desk and began setting up to work on the Faunus worst subjects. Weiss’ mind wasn’t entirely focused on the task at hand as she was debating with herself whether or not to ask something to Blake. She decided to go for it or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on tutoring her girlfriend. “Blake, I’d… like to tell my sister about us. Winter always encouraged me to do what I wanted with my life, and I want to show her…” …That someone can love me. “… That I’m dating the prettiest girl of Beacon.”

Blake knew that it wasn’t what Weiss was going to say, she wouldn’t parade her around like a trophy, but she wasn’t sure what her relationship with her sister was and decided to let it slide. “You know her better than me, so if you think it’s a good idea, I trust you.”

Weiss beamed at the idea of telling the good news to her sister. “Thank you.”

At the mention of Weiss’ sister, Blake couldn’t help but think of her own family, feeling a wave of nostalgia sweep over her. “Maybe I should tell my parents.” It had been so long, maybe they would accept to talk to her.

Weiss couldn’t hide her surprise, it was the first time Blake even mentioned her family. “You have parents?”

Blake looked at Weiss like she said something stupid, which she did. “No, I appeared one day in a White Fang hideout, fully grown and clothed.”

Weiss decided to humor her girlfriend for a few moments. “You did say you were almost born into the White Fang.” It managed to make the corners of Blake’s mouth rise a little. “But more seriously, you never mentioned them before.”

“I… I said some things I shouldn’t have last time I saw them, awful things. There’s no way they’ll forgive me.”

Weiss put her hand on the back of Faunus and started caressing her. “I think you should contact them. Apologize, tell them about us, I don’t know, but if there’s a chance to make up with them… My father will never approve of us, the best would be that he ignores us, so if it could be different on your side…” She shook her head “Sorry, it’s your decision, I shouldn’t try to tell you what to do.”

Blake smiled at her girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss. “If anyone can give their opinion on this, it’s you. I think you’re right, I should try to contact them. Not like I’ll get an answer right away anyway.” Seeing Weiss look of incomprehension, she added. “They live on Menagerie, they don’t have a CCT Tower there. I have to send a message to Mistral where it’ll be printed then sent to Menagerie by boat. Same thing for their answer.”

“Then the sooner the better. Do you need money to use the service to send it to them?”

“It fine, we can get a few messages for free each month to contact Menagerie thanks to Beacon.” Despite her refusal, Blake appreciated the offer. “Wouldn’t you be in trouble if someone found out that you used Schnee money to contact Menagerie?”

Weiss became even paler at the idea of her father learning about this. “I—I would have dealt with it. You contacting your parents is more important.” Her fake bravado disappeared and relief took its place. “But it’s better like this. No need to provoke him.”

Blake didn’t need to ask her who ‘he’ was. The head of the SDC probably wouldn’t like his money being used to contact a Faunus.

Weiss stole another kiss before the two girls went to write their messages. The heiress finished first since she was only asking her sister if there was a time she was available for a video call. She then got her last books out while Blake was typing her message for her parents and setting everything up so that it would get to them. She had thought of what she wanted to tell them ever since their fight, the apologies she wanted to make and how to convey the love she still had for them, so the words came easily, so easily she surprised herself. She decided not to talk about Weiss, wanting to make up with her parents before mentioning she was in a relationship.

Weiss’ scroll rang, announcing that Winter had answered. “My sister will have some time for us tomorrow afternoon.” She raised her eyes from her scroll and saw that Blake was just finishing typing her message.  
The Faunus nodded. “I… I haven’t told my parents about us yet. It’s not that I want to hide it, but…”

Weiss smiled and hugged her girlfriend. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear from you.” They both knew that Weiss had no idea whether it was true or not, but Blake would take any comforting words she could. “What do you think they’ll say about us both being girls?”

“I… I don’t know, we never talked about that. I think you being a Schnee will be a bigger deal.”

“Oh, yeah, that.” Weiss had forgot that, if Blake had been involved with the White Fang, her parents probably were too. “Were your parents also part of the White Fang?"

Blake tensed up. Saying they were ‘part’ of the Fang would be putting it lightly, but thinking about that would bring up a lot of things she didn’t want to remember right now. “Could we talk about it later? I don’t really want to right now.”

Having done the same thing multiple times, Weiss understood her girlfriend’s feelings. “Of course.” She broke the hug and took her hand, pulling her toward the desk. “Come on, let’s get to work.”


	18. Movie night

Blake was resting her head on the desk, her arms outstretched in front of her. “Why is Dust theory so hard…” She had been working for a few hours and while everything had been going fine until now, Blake was having a lot of trouble with the current subject and was getting frustrated with herself. “This is stupid.”

She felt a light kiss on her head and a soft voice spoke in her hear. “Let’s stop here for today. You’ve done a very good job until now, you must be tired.”

“It’s nice of you to say that, but we both know I’m just bad at it.”

“Given how much progress you’ve made today, I think it won’t take long to bring you up to speed.” Weiss tactfully avoided mentioning Dust Theory. Blake was smart, she understood quickly and was making good progress, but she was right when she said she wasn’t good at all when it came to understanding the principles and rules that existed behind the use of Dust. Weiss felt it was more important to compliment what she did good than twist the knife about her weaknesses. “And if you start paying attention again, I’m sure your sparring rank will improve in no time.” 

Blake gave her a small smile in thanks and got an idea that made her blush lightly. “If… If I did well, maybe I could get some sort of reward from you.”

Weiss’ cheeks tinted red to match Blake’s. “Do you have something specific in mind?”

“Weeeell,” Blake was drawing out her words, unsure of whether or not she wanted to say it, “I… I would like you to… to givemeearscratches.”

Weiss wasn’t sure she had heard right. “Sorry?”

Blake removed her bow, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Ear scratches.”

Weiss started caressing Blake’s hair, enjoying the feeling of it slipping through her fingers. “You don’t have to be shy with me you know.” She liked being the one doing the teasing for once.

Blake pouted. “It’s not easy to let go and follow your instincts when you spend so much time repressing them.”

Teasing suddenly wasn’t as fun. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

Blake shook her head. “Weiss, it’s fine, I can take a little teasing.” She liked that Weiss was mindful of her heritage, but she felt uneasy when she acted like that. “And you don’t have to feel bad every time me being a Faunus comes up. I’d rather have you say something a little insensitive and talk with you about it than you being afraid to say anything because you think you’ll hurt me.” She was almost as surprised as Weiss to hear herself saying that, but it felt right. “I’ve already heard plenty of awful things about me being a Faunus, you won’t be able to do worse by accident and I know it’s not on purpose. I wouldn’t want to be one of those persons telling you what to do.”

Weiss was curious. “What did they s—” She shook her head. “You know what? I’m sure I’ll hear it soon enough. Come here.” Weiss moved just behind Blake and put her hands on her shoulders, pulling lightly so that she leant back against her.

Blake put her head against Weiss’ chest and closed her eyes, waiting for the good time she knew was coming.

The heiress started scratching the base of the cat ears, a little shakily at first then growing more confident, caressing the soft appendages and enjoying the feeling of the velvety fur on her fingers. She was finding it very relaxing, and a quick look at Blake’s face showed her she wasn’t the only one. The Faunus had the biggest smile her girlfriend ever saw on her face, her eyes were closed and a soft purr was coming from her throat. Being able the make her girlfriend this happy made Weiss smile. She had tried to make her family happy for years, only succeeding very rarely and only with Winter, so the smile on Blake’s face was a new experience.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a very sensual moan that made the two girls blush. Weiss stopped her caresses, unsure about how she was supposed to react. “That was… surprising.”

Blake was too embarrassed to look at her girlfriend. “That’s why I wasn’t sure about asking you, I can’t really control it. I’d appreciate if you could avoid telling anyone about it.”

“Of course. It’s not like people would talk to me about my relationship anyway, it’s more about how it feels to be rich and if they can borrow a little money usually.”

“There’s Ruby.” Seeing the incomprehension on Weiss’ face, Blake continued. “You know, your best friend who’s probably going to ask you details about us.”

Weiss managed to get even paler than she usually was. “You—You think?”

Blake could see that her girlfriend wasn’t thrilled by the idea, probably because she had never had such a close friend before and wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. “Don’t worry, just tell her what you are comfortable telling her. I’m sure Ruby won’t pry too much if she sees that you don’t want to answer. Can’t say the same about Yang…”

Weiss had a small laugh. “I think she will want every detail. You… won’t tell her everything, right?”

Blake raised a hand and caressed Weiss’ cheek. She didn’t like to see her worried, but that’s something she would have to get used to with Weiss. “Don’t worry, I know how to keep a secret.”

Weiss was about to comment she was the one who blurted that she was a Faunus but she didn’t want to bring that moment back. “So… you really like ear scratches, don’t you?”

The blush that had disappeared from the Faunus’ face came back. “It feels very good, but I only reacted like that because it was you.”

“Did I… do something wrong?”

Blake sighed. “Of course not. It’s just different for me when it comes from a family member or you.”

“Oh, right, of course.” Weiss chided herself. She had to stop thinking Blake would get angry each time she wasn’t perfect.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. The two girls looked at each other, surprised, neither of them expecting a visit. Weiss went to open the door while Blake was putting back her bow. She was greeted by a redhead with emerald eyes and stopped for a second, surprised to see her up so soon. “Hi Pyrrha.” She invited her friend to enter with a sign of her hand.

“Hello Weiss.” Pyrrha entered the room and saw Blake, her bow now neatly in place, and the books on her desk. “Hello Blake. Studying?”

“I let myself go recently and Weiss has been very kind and accepted to help me.” Blake looked at Weiss with affection, then remembered they weren’t alone anymore and looked around the room, anywhere but where the heiress was.

“I couldn’t let my g—good friend Blake in this situation.” Weiss was about to touch her girlfriend on the shoulder but stopped herself.

They had spent the rest of the day touching and kissing each other and were now remembering that, if they didn’t want everyone to know, they’d have to be discreet. 

Pyrrha wasn’t fooled and noticed there was something off about the two girls. “Are you two alright? Did you have a fight?” 

Weiss shook her head, a little worried. “We’re fine, don’t worry. How are you? I didn’t think we’d see you standing so soon.”

Pyrrha frowned. The two girls were hiding something, they looked uncomfortable and kept throwing each other small glances, as if trying to pass a message to the other. “The wound wasn’t that deep and Ren did a good job with first aid. Beacon medical staff and my aura did the rest and the doctor said I could go back to my room as long as I took it easy for the next few days.” A pair of green eyes looked at Weiss. “Jaune told me you came to visit, so I wanted to thank you.”

“I was just passing by when I saw the commotion, your team is the one that did everything.”

“Coming from you, being there is already a lot.” Blake’s joke got a ‘Hey!’ out of Weiss and a small giggle out of Pyrrha, who tried to hide it to avoid hurting the heiress.

“I’m thankful anyway. My team decided to throw a small party to celebrate and I wanted to invite you. Ren will cook.” Pyrrha turned toward Blake. “You’re welcome too of course, as well as Ruby and Yang.”

“Ruby and Yang went back to Patch to see their father.” Blake looked at Weiss, unsure of whether she was interested or not. She was usually good at hiding her true feelings, but the black-haired girl could see disappointment that wasn’t completely hidden. “Pyrrha, we would love to come but… Can you keep a secret?”

“I… Yes?” The redhead was confused by the question but wanted to see were Blake was going.

“Weiss and I started dating earlier today,” Blake’s words made Weiss look at her with surprise, but she didn’t make a move to interrupt her, “And we were planning on spending our first evening together… well, together.”

Suddenly, their earlier uneasiness made more sense to Pyrrha, as they probably hadn’t planned on telling anyone just now. “I’m happy for you two, and I understand that you would rather have some time for you two while Yang and Ruby are out.” The redhead moved toward the door, not wanting to take more time from her friends. “We’ll try to keep it down, I hope you have a good time. I’m really happy for you two.” At those words, Pyrrha left the room, leaving the two lovers by themselves, a bright smile on her face at the idea that two of her friends were dating.

Weiss sighed. “She’s too nice.” She turned toward Blake, who was looking at her, worried she would be angry.

“Does it bother you that I told her?”

Weiss took a moment to think before answering. “I would have liked to be consulted, but since you did it so we could spend more time together… I forgive you.” She put her lips lightly against her girlfriend’s, showing that she wasn’t angry. “And Pyrrha probably would have learned sooner rather than later anyway.”

Blake enjoyed the kiss before asking a question that had been on her mind for some time. “Is it true that you had a crush on Pyrrha at the start of the year?”

The heiress couldn’t stop her cheeks from flushing. “W—Who said that?”

“Yang. She mentioned you seemed very interested in being in her team.”

Weiss sighed. She had done too many things she wasn’t proud of since she came to Beacon. “That’s because I was trying to get good teammates and Pyrrha was the only one I knew for sure wouldn’t be a burden.”

“And you got us instead.” Blake tried to lighten the atmosphere with a joke knowing that Weiss wouldn’t be happy with her own behavior, and the small smile she got from her girlfriend warmed her heart.

It was easier for Weiss to talk now that she knew Blake wasn’t too upset and her words didn’t feel like they were trying to choke her. “I wouldn’t want to change now but at the time I was… disappointed. Ruby wasn’t taking her role seriously, Yang was getting on my nerves making fun of me and you were being mysterious and unapproachable.”

“Ruby was doubting herself and her skills as a leader, Yang was trying to be friendly and get closer to you and I was afraid you three would learn my secret and hate me for it.” Blake understood why Weiss had seen her teammates that way, her own first impression of the sisters hadn’t been entirely positive either, but they never wanted to make the heiress feel unwelcomed, they just displayed their affection in ways she wasn’t used to, like hugs and friendly teasing.

Weiss looked down. She knew that now, but hearing it directly made her realize how big her mistake had been. “Yes. I made things harder for everyone, didn’t I?”

“We all learned something from that time and we’re all getting along better now, so it’s not all bad.” Blake remembered what started the discussion. “And Pyrrha?”

“Since my team wasn’t what I expected, I spent more time with Pyrrha than you hoping… I don’t really know what I was hoping for, maybe that Ozpin would change the teams if he saw how well we got along. Dust I was so ridiculous.” Weiss had turned away from Blake as she talked, unable to look at her as she remembered how awful she had been to her teammates, her fist clenched in anger at her own behavior. Since she wasn’t looking at her, she was surprised when her girlfriend grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

Blake didn’t say anything. While they had been upset at the time, Blake, Ruby and Yang had long since forgiven Weiss for the way she had acted as she had done her best to be a better teammate. The only person still upset was Weiss herself and Blake knew very well how hard it was to forgive yourself for your past mistakes.

Weiss relaxed a little and kept talking. “Anyway, I spent a lot of time with Pyrrha and while she is very kind and very pretty, she is not interested in women at all, so I never saw her anything else than a friend. If she wasn’t just being polite by not chasing me off.” After spending some more time in the warm embrace of the Faunus, Weiss spoke up. “We should do something tonight.” She didn’t want to spend the rest of the day just cuddling. Cuddles were appreciated but there were other things they could do as a couple.

“We are doing something right now.” Blake’s whispers sent shivers in her girlfriend’s spine and almost made her reconsider.

“I was thinking more of a movie night than not moving for the next ten hours. We have a nice dinner just the two of us then we watch a movie.” Weiss felt the other girl’s slender fingers caress her arms as they went down to her hands and started playing with her fingers. It was a strange and novel feeling to have someone else play with her hands but Blake’s hands, slightly rough from handling Gambol Shroud every day, felt good and Weiss found herself wanting her to continue.

“Sounds nice, but I’m not sure I want to go in Vale today.” Blake’s breath was tickling the heiress’ ear and the longer the conversation continued, the less she wanted it to stop.

“Why go in Vale when we have the room for ourselves?”

“I like the idea.” Staying in the room instead of going out yet still thinking it would be a good time? Blake knew she had made a good choice in dating Weiss.

Weiss moved to signal she wanted to go and Blake removed her arms, stealing more caresses along the way. “You take care of the room, I go get the food.” At those words, Weiss left the room, leaving no time for Blake to answer.

“What kind of movies do… you…like…?” The Faunus let out a big sigh before smiling. She still had a few hours before the night and she would do her best to make the room look good.

* * *

A couple hours later, Blake received a call as she was putting the finishing touches to her romantic dinner setup. A look at her scroll told her Weiss was the one calling, probably to know how her part was coming along.

Blake answered the call and started talking before Weiss could get a word in. “I’m finished, everything is ready.”

“Perfect. I’ll be here soon with the food.” Weiss was about to hang up before remembering something she had wanted to do for a long time. “Love you.”

There was a small, surprised silence before Blake answered. “Love you too.”

Weiss couldn’t stop smiling on the way to her room. She knew it would seem silly to someone else, but she had wanted to be able to say that to someone for a long time. Her knowledge of romance came mostly from movies and books, and while she knew they were very different from reality, she liked being able to indulge into some of their clichés.

She arrived at the dorm and opened the door with one hand, the other holding the food for the two of them. The scene that greeted her was straight out of her fantasies. The lights had been turned off and candles had been lit all over the room to provide some light and a cozy atmosphere. Ruby’s desk had been put in the center of the room and covered by a white tablecloth, hiding that it was a simple desk and making it look like a nice table for two. The plates and cutlery were set for two people who would be eating face to face, a vase of light pink flowers between them. And to complete this perfect picture, amber eyes were looking at her with delight at her surprise, a small smile stretching the lips below them.

Weiss was impressed. She could see all the efforts Blake had put into making this look as nice as possible with the limited resources she had. A whisper escaped her lips. “It’s beautiful…”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it. What flowers are those?” Weiss pointed at the flowers on the table. She didn’t know that much about flowers and had never seen the ones on the table.

“They’re called Amaryllis belladonna. I would have gone with red roses, but…”

“A little too Ruby?”

“A little too Ruby. I like them and they’ve got the same name as me, I thought they would make a good substitute.”

“They’re lovely. Do they have a meaning?”

Blake tensed up and hoped Weiss wouldn’t take it too personally. “They mean ‘Pride’. But that’s not why I picked them.”

Weiss stopped herself from frowning. If Blake said that wasn’t why she picked them, then she wouldn’t think too much about it. “Well, you’ve done a great job with the room. I’m not sure I made the best choice regarding the food now.” Weiss opened the box she was holding to reveal a large tuna pizza. “Not that romantic.”

Blake felt her mouth water at the smell. “No problem for me. Let’s eat before it gets cold.” She didn’t care if it wasn’t romantic, it was tuna pizza.

The two girls sat at the table after Blake removed the flowers to free some space and a few moments later, she got to take the first bite of the dish her girlfriend had brought. “Hm, It’s good.” Before Weiss got to make any comments, she had taken two more bites.

“I’m glad you like it. I did it myself.” There was a point of pride in Weiss’ voice.

Blake stopped eating and looked at the heiress in surprise. Weiss probably would have been angry that she was so surprised if she hadn’t been busy laughing at the strand of cheese still connecting Blake and the slice of pizza on her plate. Blake looked down and tried to remove the strand in the most dignified way possible. She barely managed to avoid embarrassing herself further. Her cheeks were burning in embarrassment when she spoke. “You went to kitchen and cooked for us?”

“For you.” Weiss’ cheeks were a little red, but her words came out without problem. She was getting better at flirting with Blake without being embarrassed. “I asked to use the kitchen, they saw I had a recipe and they let me do it when I said I would follow it and not improvise. I think one of them said something about improvisation and stomach aches.” The staff had too much experience with students experimenting with their dishes and seeing someone who probably didn’t have a lot of experience, if any, in cooking and as stubborn as Weiss could be made them fear the worse. Quite a few people had had a sigh of relief when it turned out well.

Blake raised a hand and gently caressed her girlfriend’s cheek. She didn’t want to kiss her while in the middle of eating and it was the next best thing she could think of. “Thank you.”

Weiss leaned against the hand, a warm feeling swelling in her chest at Blake’s gratitude. It was rough, calloused by years of fighting, like her own left hand. She wouldn’t have it any other way. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.” Not only that, but she wanted to start the movie so she could cuddle with Blake. She surprised herself with how much she enjoyed physical contact with her, but it wasn’t a bad surprise.

Blake was the first to finish her meal and waited for Weiss to finish. “To be honest, it’s not the first time I set up a romantic dinner like that.” She looked at the girl on the other side of the table, gauging he reaction. When she only saw curiosity in her light blue eyes, she continued. “I did it for Adam. I had placed the candles, found a nice tablecloth, made the best meal I could with what we had… He came back from his mission, saw everything I did and said ‘Such a waste of resources’.”

Weiss could hear in Blake’s voice how much it had hurt her. She imagined a younger Blake, holding back her tears as all of her hard work was ignored and ridiculed with a few words. The more she learned about this Adam, the more she hated him. “What an idiot. You did all that for him and he treats you like that? Well I love it and he didn’t deserve it.”

Blake didn’t know that hearing Weiss get angry could make her so happy. She whispered a ‘thank you’ that the other girl couldn’t hear while she was explaining why Adam was a stupid person in a very detailed rant.

Once they both had finished their meal, they decided to shower before starting the movie. They didn’t say it, but they were both worried about how they smelled and that it would inconvenience the other. Blake went first while Weiss brought back what they had borrowed from the kitchen. She took her time in the shower, enjoying having as much hot water as she wanted, and stepped out of the shower, clean and relaxed as Weiss was coming back. The heiress was happy to see that she had decided to keep her bow off while it was just the two of them.

Weiss took her nightgown and was about to enter the bathroom Blake had just left when her girlfriend called out to her. “What type of movie do you want to watch?”

Weiss thought only for a second before answering. “I think a romance would be nice given the situation.”

Blake had a soft smile. The more she got to know Weiss, the clearer it was that her ideas of romance mostly came from stories, movies and books where the romantic times were flawless and there weren’t awkward moments. Not that she was really different, having enjoyed those same books, she just hopped Weiss’ perfectionist side wouldn’t take it too badly when they hit a rough spot. With their respective histories, Blake knew it was bound to happen. Ignoring those concerns for now, she went looking for a movie for them to watch.

Weiss entered the bathroom and locked behind her out of habit. It was only this morning that she had been in here, thinking that her and Blake would never be more than friend and Blake had proved her wrong. It hadn’t been long, but touching Blake, hugging her, kissing her, it all felt so right. Weiss looked at the mirror, the edges a little foggy following Blake’s shower, and was surprised by what she saw. The girl facing her was smiling. Not a big smile, but it was a real smile, one that came from the heart and not one that had been put on her face because she had to smile. It was that, more than anything else that happened that day perhaps, that drove the point home. Blake had said she loved her. Her, Weiss Schnee. Weiss saw a single tear of joy role on the pale skin of the girl in the mirror. Yes, that girl could be prideful, stubborn and selfish, but Blake believed there was more to her than that and Weiss decided to trust her judgment.

She took a moment to compose herself before undressing and heading to the shower. She turned on the water and adjusted the temperature to something a little higher than she usually did, hoping to warm herself up and not make Blake too cold when she cuddled with her later.

Thinking of Blake brought back memories of the shower they took together. Weiss had been too busy helping Blake to focus on it at the time, but she could now vividly remember the naked body of her girlfriend. The way the water flowed on her skin, the contrast her hair created when she was naked, the curves of her toned body in all the right places… No, if she let her thoughts wander that way, she would be in there for far too long. She tried to think of something else, and her thoughts went to the photoshoot they had done earlier.

She remembered the ways Blake had looked at her, touched her, kissed her, the ways she had directed all of her movements with a few words. Weiss had been happy, eager even, to indulge her and let her take control, trusting that Blake had only had her best interests in mind.

Weiss felt her body warm up, more than what the shower would have done by itself. She threw a quick glance at the door and decided that Blake could wait a few more minutes.

* * *

Her shower finished, Weiss dried herself up and put on her nightgown. She took her brush with her as she left after having taken care of her hair. Maybe Blake would let her take care of her hair too.

Entering the room, Weiss could immediately appreciate the work her girlfriend had done. The projector the sisters usually used to play video games had been set up in front of the window, displaying a movie waiting to start and a small couch had been placed between the beds. Blake was lying on the couch, reading, and turned her head when she heard Weiss enter the room. “Had a nice shower?”

“Yes. Very… relaxing.”

The emphasis on the last word made Blake raise an eyebrow. “Oh? And what made it so… relaxing?” She wondered how far Weiss would take the flirting.

Weiss got closer to Blake, caressing her hair and whispering in her ear. “Well, I was thinking about you and…” Weiss’ voice trailed off as she turned scarlet and moved away from her girlfriend, unable to look at her. “I can’t. I can’t do it.”

Blake sighed, softly enough that Weiss couldn’t hear it. “Weiss, what were you trying to do?”

The heiress threw a glance at the Faunus, still embarrassed. “I… I want to be able to talk with you no matter the subject, so I tried to… to—” She was interrupted by two arms wrapping around her.

“Be honest. Do you think— no, are you afraid I would break up with you because you’re uncomfortable with something?” Blake’s voice was soft, soothing. She didn’t want Weiss to feel like she was put on a trial, but it was something they had to address.

Weiss was shaking a little as she answered. “I—I know you won’t but…” The was helping calm herself. “I want to get better, I want to be able to joke about that with you.”

“And I appreciate it, but I think you’re going too fast.” Blake heard that Weiss was about to say something and interrupted her. “I know what you told Velvet, and I agree that we live dangerous lives, but remember what she told us. She went too fast and lost a friend. I—I don’t want that.”

The thought of losing Blake’s friendship was enough make Weiss think on what she had done. “You’re right. I’ll try to slow down.” She turned toward Blake, looking at her with sadness. “I’m not very good at being your girlfriend, am I?”

“You are the best at being my girlfriend.” Blake saw the corner of the heiress’ mouth rise a little and kissed her.

They stayed in each other’s arms a little longer before moving to the couch. Weiss showed the brush to Blake, offering to take care of her hair, and sat down behind her girlfriend when she nodded to agree to let her take care of it. Weiss loved the feeling of the silky black hair between her fingers. “How did you get a couch here so quickly?”

Blake had a mysterious smile. “I’m very good at getting my hands on things.” Not inclined to give more information, she took the scroll she had left on the couch, the movie ready to start and connected to the projector. “Ready?”

“What are we watching?”

“Aquamarine and him. It’s the story of two Faunus from different families, one is a panther Faunus and the other a fox Faunus, and their parents disapprove of their relationship. Not very original, but the story takes place in Menagerie and they supposedly managed to really make it look like Menagerie even if it was filmed in Vacuo.”

“Does it really happen? People not being allowed to be together because they’re not the right type of animal.”

Blake frowned at the word ‘animal’ but didn’t say anything. Weiss didn’t mean anything bad by it. “It’s pretty rare since most families are a mix of Faunus types, but it can happen sometimes.” She emphasized ‘Faunus types’, hoping Weiss would get the hint.

“What about you? What are your parents?”

Thinking about her parents made Blake’s heart ache. She had been awful to them. She missed them. “They’re—They’re both felines. I’m sorry, I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

Weiss finished brushing Blake’s hair and, satisfied by her work, moved to cuddle closer with Blake. She knew a lot about complicated family relationships. “Let’s get started, okay?”

The Faunus nodded and started the movie. As announced, the locations looked a lot like Menagerie, making Blake even more nostalgic and bringing her back to the letter she had written earlier. If they don’t forgive me… I’d better enjoy this movie’s scenery as much as possible. The movie continued, everyone and everything getting in the way of the star-crossed lovers. While it wasn’t bad, it was also extremely predictable and Blake could have named a dozen books with the exact same characters and twists. She was about to ask Weiss if she wanted to stop watching when she heard a sob. Looking down, she saw tears running down the heiress’ face, her eyes red. If Weiss had gotten into the movie that much, there was no way Blake could ask her to stop. She spent the remainder of the movie enjoying the physical contact with her girlfriend, periodically caressing the soft white hair in front of her.

The movie went through the motions. The families disapproved, the lovers separated then realized they were made for each other and got back together, getting the approval of their parents in the process. Blake probably would have fallen asleep if it wasn’t for the occasional sob coming from her girlfriend. As the credits rolled, she took the heiress’ hands and started playing with her fingers. “Did you like it?”  
Weiss let Blake do as she wanted with her fingers. She liked it and it gave her some time to compose herself after crying for almost the entire movie. “It was okay. Very predictable.” After a short silence, she added. “But the story really talked to me I guess. I get… emotional when it comes to romance, adding the story of a disapproving family…”

Blake remembered that Weiss would introduce her to her sister on the next day and she wondered if it was worrying her. She seemed to think highly of her sister and was confidant in telling her, so it probably would go well but if it didn’t… Blake shook her head. No, she shouldn’t worry about that and just trust Weiss. Her view of the Schnee family was too biased to be of any help right now. The Faunus took the Heiress’ chin in one hand, turning her head to kiss her. When she backed up after the kiss, she took the opportunity to get a good look at her girlfriend. Her eyes were red from crying, she looked tired, and being in her nightgown and having her hair down made her look particularly delicate, small and vulnerable, the complete opposite of the image she usually projected. Being Weiss Schnee meant no one was allowed to look down on her even if they were taller and bigger, and she accomplished that by being louder and angrier than them. This attitude had irritated Blake at the start of the year, but she had grown to understand that it was a way for Weiss to protect herself from others and that what she was seeing now was a lot closer to who Weiss really was. “You’re beautiful.”

The spontaneity of the compliment tinged the cheeks of the heiress with pink. “Thank you.” After a few more moments of cuddling, Weiss spoke again. “Does Menagerie really look like that?” There weren’t a lot of information available about the continent that had been offered to the Faunus.

“It was pretty accurate. The two families we saw do not exist and there are not really a lot of big manors as in the movie, but the market reminded me of the time I spent there.” It was the perfect opportunity to tell more about her family and the role her father played on Menagerie, but the idea that Weiss might learn he was one of the high leader of the White Fang… Blake could feel the fear in her guts, knowing Weiss’ hatred toward the Fang.

“I’d like to go there someday, for the scenery and to learn more about the Faunus.” Weiss interrupted Blake’s train of thought, surprising her. “A place with only Faunus… I don’t think I would be welcome there though.”

“Maybe someday.” Blake would have loved to show her girlfriend the place where she grew up, meet her parents, her old friends, spend time on the roof of her house watching the moon with her… If only things weren’t so complicated.

“I hope so.” Weiss moved to stand up, giving Blake a good view of her legs.

Blake had always appreciated Weiss’ legs, appreciation she now understood to be more than just about the hard work of a huntress in training, and she had a lot of occasion to see them, but this time, she was entranced. The pale skin, the toned muscles playing under it, the way they seemed to go on forever even though Weiss was on the smaller side, the curves of her butt suggested by the thinner fabric of her pajamas… Blake caught her thoughts going in a direction she would rather avoid before going to sleep and stood up quickly, trying to distract herself from Weiss’ magnificent legs. Not that it really worked, thankfully her girlfriend provided a welcome diversion by asking a question.

“Do you want to sleep with m—I mean, in my bed tonight?” Weiss was worried it was a little too forward, but she had liked not sleeping alone the preceding night. The last times were due to exterior circumstances and she was looking forward being able to spend the night with Blake without her being scarred by the weather.

“I’d love to, but… I feel if we sleep in the same bed, things will go further and I think it’s too early for that.”

“Oh.” The heiress tried her best to hide her disappointment. “You’re right. Well… Good night.” She gave a last kiss to Blake and went to her bed.

Blake looked at her girlfriend as she turned back. Her disappointment was clear, maybe she should have given it a try? If they clearly said that they wouldn’t do anything, they could have spent the night together just cuddling and nothing more. She was about to call Weiss but stopped herself when she remembered all the times went a little faster than she expected with their relationship. She was okay with it, but she wasn’t sure Weiss was, and she didn’t want to encourage her changing too fast. It was better if they each stayed in their own beds tonight.

Blake hopped she would get one last glance of Weiss’ blue eyes as she went to sleep, maybe see another faint smile grace her lips, but her girlfriend kept her back to her as they fell asleep.

* * *

Blake had been sleeping for a few hours when she was woken up by a movement close to her. Her years in the Fang had taught her to be alert rapidly, but it was still hard to be woken up in the middle of night only a few hours after going to sleep. She opened her eyes and was met by two other eyes. She knew those eyes, knew they should be blue even if the lack of light didn’t allow her to see in color. She loved them, but they were looking embarrassed and… worried? That wouldn’t do, why was she worried? She was holding a pillow… did she want to sleep in her bed? Why would that worry her? Oh, right, she said she didn’t want to because she was worried they would be going too fast… About-to-fall-asleep Blake was stupid, just sleeping together meant a lot to Weiss even if nothing happened, she shouldn’t have refused that. At least she could make up for it now.

Still half-asleep, the Faunus moved back on her bed and lifted the covers, inviting Weiss in her bed. The blue eyes brightened and the heiress joined her, cuddling against her.

Blake went back to sleep, feeling her girlfriend against her, things a little better than they were a moment ago.

* * *

Blake was woken up the next morning by something tugging on her hand. She opened her eyes and saw that Weiss was awake, the light of the sun filtering between the blinds allowing her to see her in colors again. “Hi.”

Weiss stopped moving and greeted Blake. “Hi. Listen, I know you didn’t want us in the same bed but… it feels lonely all by myself and… and I was afraid I was going to wake up and find out it was all a dream.” She was being very open about her feelings, Blake guessed it might be because she was afraid she would get angry if she didn’t have a good reason to be there.

“I don’t mind, I was a little too cautious last night. But I don’t want us to become the kind of couple that can’t do anything without the other.”

Weiss nodded in approval. She realized she was being a little too needy, but she hoped she would get better as time went by. “Well, I guess you also got something out of it. Is it to your taste?”

Blake was confused by her girlfriend’s words, when it finally dawned on her that her left hand was on Weiss’ rear. She understood why she felt some tugging when Weiss had moved earlier. She gave a few squeeze to the firm cheeks—Weiss didn’t seem to mind so she wasn’t going to stop herself from enjoying it—before answering with a grin. “Very much. I wasn’t expecting you to not wear anything under your nightgown though.”

Weiss blushed at her girlfriend’s words, before looking sad and taking Blake’s hand off of her. “I started when I was pretty young, maybe five or six years ago. I was going to bed but was very angry with my father. I don’t exactly remember why, not that it’s hard to make guess knowing him. I wanted to get back at him, but it’s not like I could directly oppose him, it would have been stupid, so I did the first thing that came to mind. Not wearing underwear under my pajamas when I went to sleep. I wasn’t entirely sure why at the time, but I knew it was something a ‘proper lady’ shouldn’t be doing. I got used to it and I only wear them when I have to or when sleeping in public, like at the start of the year in the ballroom.” There was a silence before Weiss continued talking. “I’m so stupid. I want more autonomy from my father, but all I can manage are token gestures. Who cares if I wear underwear, no one would want to spend the night with me other than to say they slept with a Schnee, and even if I literally had to fight to come to Beacon, I was still asking the permission in the end—” She was interrupted by a flicker on the forehead.

“First, stop saying no one will like you, it hurts. Secondly, did you just say I was only interested in sleeping with a Schnee? And finally, your father is one of the most influential person on Remnant, as much as I hate to say it. Of course it’s hard to gets out of its grasp. But little by little, you’re getting further away from him, being your own person. Do you think he would have accepted you dating an ex-member of the White Fang?” Blake knew she was a little harsh, but hearing that she dated Weiss only for her body had angered her a lot. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just… It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot, it just came out without thinking. I’m not completely awake yet.” Weiss managed a feeble smile, trying to hide her embarrassment. “You must think I’m weird, with that and what happened yesterday.”

“Why would I think you’re weird? I love learning new things about you, seeing different parts of you, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities lately. I told you I started being interested in you when I learned there was more than an ice queen under that mask. And if underwear bother you that much…” Blake shuffled under the sheets and Weiss soon saw a piece of black fabric fly and land next to Blake’s clothes.  
Weiss rolled her eyes and giggled. “You dolt.” She cuddled closer to her girlfriend and whispered. “Thank you.”

The two girls spent more time cuddling with each other, enjoying the peace and quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes with a bonus chapter. I wanted to try my hand at writing an “adult” scene and I got the opportunity with one of the scenes in this chapter. While the bonus is in continuity with the story, it is by no means necessary to read it. No big reveals, no important details, just me trying to write something different.
> 
> You can find the bonus [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11024874).
> 
> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	19. Sisters

Weiss and Blake were having breakfast with their friends of team JNPR, sitting apart from each other to avoid accidentally revealing their relationship. Jaune’s attempts at flirting with Weiss were a lot less frequent than they had been at the start of the year, but it was still clear that he hoped something would happen between him and the heiress. Blake didn’t let it bother her. If he kept at it when he learned they were together however, it would be a different story and she hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Jaune wasn’t the best at taking hints, but he wasn’t completely stupid.

Nora, Ren and Jaune finished their breakfast first and went back to their room, leaving Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake alone in the cafeteria. The redhead had stayed behind on purpose. She didn’t want to bother her friends too much, but it was an opportunity for some talk about love and relationship. “So, how did your night go?”

Weiss looked around, making sure they were alone, before answering with a smile. “It was very nice. Blake made the room look wonderful, with candles and flowers. It was so romantic.” She didn’t know she would enjoy talking about her romantic evening that much, and she felt Blake deserved the praise.

Blake had moved closer to Weiss and was also smiling. “What she doesn’t tell you is that she was the one that cooked for us, and if we had cooking classes, she would ace them like all the others.”

Weiss blushed and muttered a ‘Flatterer’ before continuing. “Then Blake managed to get a couch in the room and set up everything so we could watch a movie in the time it took me to take a shower.”

Pyrrha was listening to her friends with a smile. “It seems you two had a nice evening. I’m happy for you.”

Weiss had a little grin as she looked at the red head. “Maybe Jaune will pay more attention to you once he learns we’re together.”

“That’s—That’s not…” Pyrrha’s face had turned the same color as her hair. She stood up. “I should go back to the room before they start wondering where I’ve been.” She left the room, walking quickly.

The heiress shook her head. “Poor girl, having a crush on a dense idiot like him.”

“Weiss.” Blake knew that her girlfriend was tired of Jaune’s attempts to woo her, and she couldn’t really dispute the ‘dense’ part, but she was going a little far.

“Right, right. Let’s go back.”

The two girls went back to their room and spent the rest of the morning trying to avoid thinking of their meeting with Winter later that day. Blake tried doing some schoolwork but quickly found herself unable to focus and decided to go train after having brought back the couch she had borrowed. Weiss used the opportunity to do a light maintenance of Myrtenaster, making sure every part moved correctly, refilling the Dust containers and taking care of the blade. Once she was done, she found the notes she had taken about a new song among the impressive amount of paper on her desk. Her friends were always impressed that she could find a specific page in a few seconds in what appeared to everyone but Weiss to be a very messy, if neatly stacked, pile of papers, books, notebooks and binders.

Songs had always been a way for Weiss to unwind and forget her problems. As long as she focused on them, was it singing or writing, nothing would bother her. She went back over her notes, crossing ideas, writing new ones, all the while humming a small tune that could be the one for this song. She usually had some help for the music that went with the lyrics she wrote, but she could do a decent job by herself.  
Blake came back after a couple of hours, and her attention had been caught by the small sounds Weiss was making as soon as she opened the door. Her girlfriend didn’t make noises like that when she was studying. “Are you singing?” No response. “Weiss?” Still nothing. The heiress was completely focused on what she was doing and Blake decided to wait for her to finish until further questioning. She took a quick shower and lost herself in one of her books.

Weiss had made a lot of progress with the song, to the point she started being okay with it. Still a lot of work needed, but she didn’t want to burn her notes in embarrassment anymore. Looking at the room, she saw that Blake was back. Her hair was still slightly damp and she only had put her panties back. Nothing unusual, Blake didn’t like wearing clothes immediately after a shower, except that Weiss felt a lot less embarrassed than usual. For once, she wasn’t feeling like she was disrespectful of her teammate by looking at her. “I hope you’re not considering meeting my sister like that?”

Blake raised her eyes from her book, surprised. “Why not? You think she won’t like it?”

The answer came so naturally it took Weiss a few seconds to understand it was a joke. Way to long if she was honest with herself. “You are certainly a sight to behold, but I think I’m going to be jealous if you start walking around Beacon like that.” She made no efforts to hide the fact that she was enjoying the view of her lightly dressed girlfriend.

“I better dress up then.” Blake laughed at the falsely disappointed look on the heiress’ face and went to take a new set of clothes. She put on a pair of black pants with a gray stripe on the outside of the legs, a white zip-up shirt with sleeves going to the middle of her forearms and a pair of black high-heel boots reaching mid-calf. She put the finishing touches by tying a black ribbon on each arm and attaching a black piece of cloth to the back of her belt, covering her hip to hip, a translucent purple piece of fabric underneath.

Weiss eyes lit up when she saw what Blake was wearing. “That’s what you wore when we were looking for clues about the White Fang, right? It looks really good on you.”  
“Thanks. Your coat was nice too, what did Ruby call it again?”

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, remembering the names their leader had given their outfits. “Snowpea. Why did you all get a cool name while I had a ridiculous one?” She faked a pout, getting a giggle out of her girlfriend.

“I like it, it sounds like something small and white, it reminds me of you.”

“That… sounded really corny.” Despite her words, the small smile on her lips showed she appreciated the compliment. “Please don’t say things like that in front of my sister.”

“Speaking of your sister, is there anything I should be careful about?”

Weiss thought for a few seconds. “Winter is a serious person, so try to stay serious and don’t be too… rude. Not that you usually are but… Anyway, jokes and teasing aren’t a good idea when meeting her for the first time. Our father is fair game, but please don’t insult our family name. I know you hate it, but I don’t want you and Winter to fight.”

The words made Blake think. Did she hate the Schnee name? She had in the past, but getting to know Weiss, things were clearly more complicated than all the Schnee being monsters. “Don’t worry, I think avoiding those subjects for our first meeting is for the best. Are you going to tell her I’m a Faunus?” The big question. Blake had no idea how her heritage would be received by Weiss’ family, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted them to know.

“I…” Weiss sighed. “I think I would tell her about you being a Faunus, but not about the White Fang. Winter wouldn’t have too much of a problem with that, and she won’t tell Father.” Weiss’ blue eyes met with her girlfriend’s. “But the choice should be yours. If you don’t want me to tell her, I won’t.”

Blake took some time to think. She wanted to trust Weiss when she said it would be alright, but years of hating the Schnee didn’t make it easy. What did she know about Winter? She worked closely with Ironwood and was a high-ranking member of the Atlesian military. The general wasn’t particularly anti-Faunus, they were allowed in the army and could get the same promotion humans did, even if they were even more a minority than in Vale. Winter Schnee wouldn’t go against the general, and the files the Fang had on her didn’t outline any strong anti-Faunus feelings, other than her being a Schnee. Thinking about it, the one time she gave the benefit of the doubt to a Schnee, it had worked pretty well. It hadn’t been perfect, far from it, but seeing the blue eyes of her girlfriend looking at her while she was thinking made it worth it. “All right, if you think she can learn it without hating me, I’ll trust you.”

Weiss smiled. “Thank you.” She kissed her girlfriend, which reminded her of something else. “Oh, I think it would be best to avoid kissing during the call.”

Blake grinned. “You don’t want her to know how lovey-dovey you really are?”

“I’m not lovey-dovey,” The blush on Weiss’ cheeks betrayed that even her didn’t really believe it, “I’m just… just…” Blake raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear how she would get out of that one. “Fine, maybe I’m a little lovey-dovey. But I’m blaming it on my parents never hugging me.” Weiss had said it like it wasn’t supposed to be serious, just a joke where she pretended being too prideful to admit liking physical contact with her girlfriend. Some people might have thought she was that prideful, while others might have seen it as a joke, used to hide her embarrassment. But if Blake had to make a guess, she’d say it was true. The Schnee didn’t strike her as the kind of family to show affection if they way Weiss had acted at the start of the year was anything to go by.

Blake took her girlfriend in her arms, holding her against her. “Anytime you want.” She felt Weiss loosen up and lean against her chest. The Faunus looked at her scroll and saw there was still a little time before they had to go. “What were you working on? I heard you humming and you completely ignored me when I talked to you.”

Weiss looked apologetic. “Sorry, I get like that when I work on a song. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Blake’s hands went to play with the heiress’ fingers. She was really getting to like doing that. Weiss’ hands were surprisingly soft for a fighter, her left hand rougher from handling Myrtenaster, and she could feel her relax, letting her do as she pleased with her fingers. “It didn’t bother me, I liked it.” After a moment of silence, she continued. “I never got to hear you sing in person. I… I know you probably get paid for it but… I’d really like to hear you sing sometime.”

Weiss shrugged. “It never really was about the money, I sang because I liked it. One of the few things I liked I could do as much as I wanted, and if anyone can ask me to sing, it’s you.” Light blue eyes ran over the piles of paper on the desk, trying to find if she had a song she could sing to her girlfriend. There was one but… Did she still have the recording of the backing instruments on her scroll? The difficult part here was to get her scroll. Blake was still holding her, and Weiss didn’t want to move to take it from her bed. She freed her right hand from the playful fingers of the catgirl, earning a disappointed whine from her, and with a small gesture of her fingers created a glyph under the scroll that launched it right to her hand.

Blake raised her eyebrows. “Nice.”

“Winter and I used to do it all the time when we were little, getting things out of reach or sending them to each other. It drove our father mad.” A small smile graced the lips of the heiress as she remembered the moments of friendship she used to share with her sister. She looked through the files on her scroll, quickly finding what she was looking for. “I can sing ‘It’s my turn’ if you want.”

“I have no idea what this is, but I’d be glad to hear it.” Blake had never really gotten into music, only listening to it occasionally, preferring to spend her time in her books. Having Weiss singing for her still made her very happy.

Weiss stood up, went to the middle of the room, launched the recording of the instrumental part of the song and started singing.

_“When I was young, If I just closed my eyes then I could go anywhere…”_

The lyrics came back to her as she sang. She could never forget a song she had put so much of her feelings into.

Blake was trying to focus on the lyrics, but the sight of her girlfriend getting into the song and forgetting about the world around her was very distracting, her pale skin and white hair catching the light almost making her look like an angel. She still managed to understand what the song was about and Weiss’ feelings behind it. 

_“You said ‘Know your place, accept your fate and show good face and be thankful that you're there.’”_

Her father had tried to shape her to his image, making her nothing more than a puppet that would continue his legacy.

_“It all begins, a chance to win, a dream that's been a lifetime, an endless vast uphill climb, the day I've waited for is drawing near.”_

She managed to get out of his influence, probably by coming to Beacon, but it hadn’t been easy. Did her scar had something to do with it? She had said to Velvet she was proud of it but didn’t tell the story of how she got it. Blake thought she would have to ask later.

The Faunus enjoyed the song, feeling a small pain in her heart each time Weiss mentioned her hardships and how much her life had been impacted by this man.

_“Anything to crush my soul, anything to feel control.”_

Blake felt a shiver running down her spine. Even if Weiss hadn’t lived in the streets, in didn’t mean she had been happy all her life. She remembered the times in the Fang when they criticized anyone they thought responsible for the hatred toward them. Rich, humans, Atlesian… the Schnee family had been one of their favorite target. Knowing what she knew now… all those things didn’t mean Weiss had had an easy life.

As Weiss finished singing, the two girls were slightly red, Weiss from the singing and the emotions that came with this song, and Blake from what she had just seen. Her beautiful girlfriend, her amazing voice, her strength as she opposed her father’s will…

The black-haired girl stood up and gave the other girl a very passionate kiss, her tongue slipping past her girlfriend’s lips and her hands exploring the smooth skin that had caught her attention a moment earlier. She wanted to hear more of this wonderful voice, but this time singing to the tune she would dictate. She could hear the small moans of the heiress as her hands caressed the alabaster skin of her thighs. She was going higher and higher, Weiss’ pleas getting louder and her nails digging into her back. Hadn’t she worn her jacket, Blake would have had marks covering her back for at least a few days. The black nails were scrapping the skin lightly when they met the hem of the heiress’ skirt, and Blake opened her eyes to look at her girlfriend’s reaction. 

Weiss was looking at her with a mix of affection, trust and desire, having no intention to ask her to stop. No one had ever made her feel so loved and wanted, and she wanted to make Blake feel the same way.  
Seeing her so trusting and having dropped her guard, Blake felt a presence in a corner of her mind. It was weaker than it had been before, not even a whisper this time, but it was there and reminded her of her old partner. If there was anyone she didn’t want to think about when she was with Weiss, it was him. “Leave me alone!” The words left her mouth before she could think, the sudden burst of anger clashing with her usually calm demeanor.

Weiss didn’t feel hurt, having a good idea of what was happening. “Adam?” She felt a little sorry for Blake, knowing full well how it felt to have the shadow of someone you hated still influencing your life. At least hers didn’t interrupt when she was spending time with her girlfriend.

Blake nodded. “I didn’t hear him but…” The soft hug that Weiss gave her made her silent. They had already talked about this and the heiress trusted her to overcome that.

Weiss decided to change the subject. “So, what did you think about it? I know the sound quality isn’t the best, and the lyrics are very… dramatic, but I had fun making this song and singing for you.”

“I liked it. I could really feel your emotions through the song, and the lyrics talked to me. I know it’s not supposed to be about me, but it reminded me of my last months in the Fang.”

Weiss shook her head. “I did think of my relationship with my father when I wrote it, but it’s not the only way to see it. I’m glad it talked to you.” Thinking about what she just said, Weiss added quickly. “Not that I’m happy you had to deal with that, just, you know, sharing this with you.” Blake hadn’t put back her bow yet and Weiss was very tempted to caress her ears, but stopped herself and went for her hair instead. She still wasn’t sure if it was okay for her to touch her cat ears whenever she wanted. “If I had known singing had this effect on you, I would have done it earlier.”

The teasing brought a small smile and a blush to Blake’s face. “You are very impressive when you sing, it’s very hard to resist. One or two others like this and you can say goodbye to your clothes.”

“Tempting, but I’m pretty sure Yang will ask you how our first time sleeping together went.”

Blake laughed. “I am not telling her we did it because you sang and I couldn’t control myself. She will never stop making fun of us if I do.” She got a laugh out of her girlfriend, a sound she didn’t get to hear nearly enough for her taste.

Weiss looked at the time on her scroll and stood up. “We should get to the library, it’s almost time.”

Blake nodded and followed her out of the room, putting on her bow, her hands shaking lightly with nervousness. It wasn’t every day you met your girlfriend’s sister, and her being Winter Schnee did nothing to help.

* * *

The couple arrived at library and Weiss guided Blake toward one of the most private booth. Having Weiss say she would contact a family member had sent a shiver down the librarian’s spine and convinced him to give her one of the booth where they could be sure no one would overhear. It was made for only one person, so it was a little tight for two, but neither of the girls minded being close to the other.  
Weiss felt Blake’s agitation and took her hand. “Don’t worry, I’m sure my sister will like you.” She composed the number her sister had given her, connecting her directly to her personal computer at the Atlas military headquarter.

Winter answered immediately, the screen showing a fair-skinned young woman, her white hair and blue eyes making it clear she was a Schnee. The way the camera was filming her made it hard to see her outfit, but some white and blue could be seen, with a touch of red. It reminded Blake of Weiss’ own combat outfit, using the same colors. _Probably not a coincidence._ In fact, Winter reminded her of an older, stricter Weiss. Given the heiress’ attitude at the start of the year, Blake couldn’t help but wonder if Winter had ever smiled in her life. _No, I shouldn’t judge her like that._ She decided to wait and see how it went before saying anything.

“Winter, I’m so happy to see you.” Weiss’ excitement could be heard in her voice, surprising Blake. She knew her girlfriend liked her sister a lot, but she didn’t expect her to be this happy.

“So am I Weiss.” Winter’s voice wasn’t the friendliest Blake had heard, but it was warmer than what she expected. It seemed she was rather fond of her little sister. Her eyes turned to the place Blake was on her screen. “And who is this young lady with you?”

“Winter, meet Blake Belladonna. She… She’s my girlfriend.”

Winter’s eyes widened before she managed to hide her surprise. “Well, it seems my little sister has rather good tastes, but I’m not sure the same could be said about you, Blake.”

It took Blake a few seconds to understand Winter had just made a joke. Her tone had been so matter-of-factly that it hadn’t registered until she thought about it again. “Weiss can be a little difficult at times, but she’s such a sweet girl the rest of the time. It’s worth it.” Weiss blushed at the compliment and smiled a little.

The corners of Winter’s mouth raised slightly. “Interesting.” She knew her sister could be hard to get along with, she hoped Blake was serious when she said she liked her. “You two are on the same team, if I remember your letter right.”

Weiss smiled at Winter remembering what she wrote her. “We are. There were… difficulties at first, but we managed and now we’re together.” She took the hand of her girlfriend in hers and raised them to the camera. She wanted her sister to know it wasn’t just a schoolgirl crush, that they at least wanted to try to have something serious. They lowered their hands, Weiss looked at Blake’s bow and took a deep breath. “About those difficulties… Blake is… Blake is a Faunus.”

There was a moment of silence, the couple still holding hands, hoping everything would go well. Blake tried to stop her ears from moving under her bow, but Winter squinting at her screen made her wonder if she had seen something. “Let me guess, cat ears? I can’t say I’m surprised, coming from you.”

Weiss had imagined a lot of scenarios that could be playing right now, but that wasn’t one of them. “What? And how?” Blake stayed silent, too scared by how easy it had been for her to find her Faunus attribute.  
“We see a lot a Faunus trying to hide who they are in Atlas, so I learned a thing or two about the way to hide ears, tails or other attributes, and since you told me she was one, I knew to be on the lookout for something.” Blake was surprised by the way Winter talked about the Faunus. There was no disdain or hatred in her voice, she just talked about them the way she talked about anything else. She wondered if she was making an effort for her sister’s sake. “For the cat part, I remembered the lady in her underwear that showed her cat tail on the cover of a certain magazine in your room. Lucky guess, I wasn’t expecting to be right.”

Weiss’ face had taken a deep scarlet hue. “Wha—How? You went into my room?” She looked at the floor, mortified that her sister had seen the only time she found the courage to buy something a little racy. The giggle coming from Blake at least reassured her she didn’t find it gross. Not that she would have, given her own collection of adult literature, but Weiss had always felt a little ashamed to have bought this magazine and she had gotten rid of it a few days after buying it, afraid her father would find it.

“I saw it on your bed. I think you forgot to put it back and I hid it under your pillow so that it wouldn’t be found.” Winter’s voice had become softer, the voice of a big sister. As close as she could get to it anyway. “Klein wouldn’t have said anything to Father, but I thought it would be less embarrassing for you if he didn’t know about it.”

Weiss nodded. The idea of Klein learning about that made her very uncomfortable.

They talked for a little longer, Weiss telling her sister about her life at Beacon and Blake speaking very rarely, happy to let the two sisters have some time to talk. Winter wasn’t as intimidating know that she got to see her as a big sister instead of a specialist of the Atlas military. Then Winter asked the question Weiss didn’t want to think about.

“Are you going to tell Father?”

Weiss’ smile disappeared. Her father would learn of her relationship sooner or later and it would certainly be better if he learned it from Weiss herself, but the idea of telling him… “He said he didn’t mind that liked girls…”

Winter let out a sigh. She knew Weiss didn’t hate him as much as she did, but ignoring the facts would only ends up with her getting hurt. “Dust, Weiss you know him better than that. It’s not that he doesn’t mind who you are with, it’s that he doesn’t care, because he thinks you will come back running when he calls you to marry and have a child with the man he chose for you.” The eldest Schnee sister easily lost her countenance when she talked about her father, but the man that cut her from the family because she went into the military would get no respect from her.

Weiss had clenched her fists hard, to the point her knuckles were even whiter than usual. She still had the hope her father really cared about her, but she knew deep down that Winter was right. “I—I still want to give him a chance.”

Winter shook her head. “I don’t think he deserves one, but this is your choice. Just be sure you really want to do it.”

The sisters stopped talking and an awkward silence filled the air. Blake decided to try and change the subject. “So, you two swearing by ’Dust’, is everyone in Atlas doing that or just you?”

Weiss was the one that answered. “It’s something our grandfather started. He spent all is time working with Dust, bringing it to people, trying to find better ways to use it… He swore by Dust one time, his employees found it funny and kept teasing him about it so he started using it more often. Our mother did it to since she was used to hearing him do it and Winter and I decided to do the same to remember the person that made our family what it is.” She shook her head and corrected herself. “What it was.”

Not a lot was known by the public about Nicholas Schnee and Blake was surprised to hear about him. The SDC at the time seemed very different to the current one.

They were interrupted by a ringing on Winter’s side. She looked at her scroll and saw that the conversation would have to end here. “General Ironwood needs me, I guess we’ll have to stop here for today. It was nice to make your acquaintance Blake.” The Faunus wasn’t sure how genuine she was, but at least she didn’t seem to hate her heritage and didn’t ask Weiss to break up with her. Blake decided that the meeting had been positive. As she was about to hang up, Winter said a few words, finally sounding like a big sister. “Please take care of Weiss.”

Winter Schnee had asked her, Blake Belladonna, to take care of Weiss Schnee. It was hard to believe but it made her feel happy, if a little guilty. After all, her father…

Weiss said her goodbyes to her sister and looked at her girlfriend when the screen turned to black. She frowned when she saw her. “Why do you look so sad? Did she say something she shouldn’t have? Did I?”  
Raising her head, Blake looked at the beautiful girl facing her, worry showing on her face. She could feel the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “I… I miss my family.” With that, grabbed the heiress, holding her close and hiding her face against her. Seeing Weiss interact with her sister reminded her of the good times she had with her parents, and how she destroyed everything.

Weiss put her arms around her girlfriend, caressing her back and trying to soothe the sorrow as much as she could. She felt every sob, every little shake, and each time she wondered what had happened but knew better than to ask about it right now. It didn’t feel good to have Blake break down in tears in her arms, and it felt even worse to be unable to do anything about it.

When Blake calmed down a little and moved away from Weiss, her eyes were red and the tears could still be seen on her cheeks.

“Do you want to talk about it?” _Please say yes. I don’t like seeing you like that._

Blake shook her head but still answered. “The last time I saw my parents, I insulted them, saying they were cowards for leaving the Fang while humans still didn’t see us as equal and that I didn’t want to see them again if they were going to betray us.” She felt sick, remembering how awful she had been, seeing the hurt in her parents’ eyes. “I didn’t think it, I just couldn’t understand why they left and lashed out. Except that they were right to leave. I shouldn’t have written to them, they’ll never forgive me.”

Blake’s parents had been member of the White Fang. Not that surprising given that Blake said she was practically born in it, and it wasn’t that important right now. The important was that Blake was feeling awful. “One time, Winter was helping me train and, as you can probably guess, she isn’t really the type to hold back. I was hurting everywhere but she said I had to keep going and I got angry, screaming at her that I hated her, and ran away to my room. She avoided me for a few days after that. I thought I made her mad and I hated that but I didn’t want to make the first step. When the idea of losing my sister became too much, I went to her room late at night to finally apologize. I’ll never forget what I saw. My sister, the person that inspired me, the strong woman who could beat anyone in a fight and wanted to work in the military… She was crying. I ran in her arms and we stayed there for some time, crying together. I never saw her so vulnerable than at the time she thought her little sister hated her.” Weiss stopped for a second, forcing herself to get back on track. “What I want to say is that maybe your parents aren’t angry, but worried about you and thinking that you don’t want anything to do with them. If I’m right… well, I think your letter will make them very happy.”

Blake looked at her, surprised. “You can actually understand people?” She stopped the indignant ‘hey’ with a kiss. The familiar reaction to her teasing made her feel a little better. “Thank you.”

The two girls left the booth and started going back to their room, holding hands. The corridors were empty and they would be able to hear anyone coming near before they saw them, and the contact with each other felt more important right now.

“What did you think of my sister?

Blake took some time to answer. She didn’t want to hurt Weiss but she didn’t want to lie either. “She’s nicer than I thought she would be, but she’s still… cold and intimidating. Not as strict as you said she was.”  
Weiss nodded at Blake’s assessment of her sister. Even her found Winter a little intimidating at times. “I’m happy it went well. And I hadn’t talked to her in a while, maybe she made friends and changed a little since the last time I saw her?” She didn’t know that Winter had done her best to seem friendly and get along with Blake, because she was happy that her sister had a girlfriend and didn’t want to antagonize her.  
The two girls arrived at their dorm and were surprised to see the door unlocked, voices coming from inside the room. “—you’ll be able to see them soon enough.”

They knew the voices, but the persons they belonged to should have been there.

“I know, I just missed them. It doesn’t feel like team RWBY when there’s two people missing.”

Weiss pushed the door, opening it completely, and confirmed what they both suspected. Ruby and Yang were back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	20. Heartbreak

“Weiss! Blake!” Ruby saw her friends as soon as they entered the room and a miniature red tornado jumped to hug Weiss, the sudden impact almost making her fall. She had gotten used to hugs with Blake, but she still didn’t like them when they came from someone else and tensed up. She didn't push Ruby back however, her friend liked hugs, she could let her have one once in a while.

Ruby let Weiss go and went to give Blake her welcome back hug while Yang simply waved the two girls and said hello. She wasn’t sure what the situation was between Weiss and Blake and wanted to avoid any action that could revive existing tensions before learning everything.

“Why are you back so soon? I thought you’d stay longer than three days.” Weiss was a little sad her time alone with Blake had come to an end, but seeing her friends again wasn’t so bad.

“Dad was called by Ozpin for an urgent mission.” Ruby clearly was disappointed by this turn of event. “We came back with him and he went straight to see the headmaster.”

“Woof!”

Weiss and Blake jumped, just now noticing that Zwei had come back with the sisters. He got close to Blake and sniffed, not recognizing the smell. Blake had grabbed Weiss’ hand and was doing her best not to move. She knew her perfume would hide the fact she was a Faunus, she knew Zwei wouldn’t attack her, but she still hated having him so close.

Yang grabbed Zwei, taking him away from the visibly uncomfortable Faunus. “Stop that boy, Blake doesn’t like it.”

“Wait.” Blake let go of Weiss’ hand and put it in front of her. “I—I’d like to try to pet him.” Weiss loved the ball of fur and it was enough for Blake to at least want to try and get used to him.

Blake slowly moved her hand closer to the dog while Yang was holding him, making sure he wouldn’t move. She presented the top of her hand to his nose, allowing him to get to know her — at least when she was wearing her perfume — so as to not surprise him.

Zwei sniffed the hand and licked it, happy to make a new friend. Blake jumped and let out a small cry before running to the bathroom to clean her hand. It was too much, how could Weiss enjoy something so sticky and unsanitary?

Weiss joined her in the bathroom while the two sisters went back to unpacking. “Are you alright?”

Blake stopped rubbing her hand, the spot where Zwei had licked her a little red. “I don’t think I’ll ever like dogs.” She turned toward her girlfriend, a small smile on her lips. “No cute doggie for company when I’ll be an old lady.”

“If we get to be old ladies…” Weiss shook her head. She didn’t mean to sound so gloom. “When do we tell Ruby and Yang?” She took Blake’s hand in hers, making it clear what she was talking about.  
“I think we should tell them now. The sooner the better.”

Weiss nodded and let go of Blake’s hand. The two girls went back to the room, feeling nervous. Winter had at least been on another continent, now their friends were right in front of them.  
Weiss was the first to find the courage to talk. “Ruby, Yang… There’s something we would like to tell you.”

The sisters stopped putting their clothes back in their wardrobes and turned toward their friends, curious.

Weiss took a deep breath, interlaced her fingers with Blake’s who gave her a small smile of encouragement. She looked at the pairs of silver and purple eyes looking at her and opened her mouth to talk.

* * *

Ruby Rose’s day had been a mixed bag up until now. Her time with her dad had had to be cut short — Ruby had been angry at Ozpin since her dad told them they had to go back to beacon earlier than planned — but at least she got to see her friends again. Weiss even let her hug her which almost made up for the bad parts of the day. Not all that great, but still a good day.

And then everything went wrong. Weiss said her and Blake had something to tell Yang and her and Ruby had had a strange feeling in her stomach, like something bad was about to happen.

Something bad did happen. “Blake and I are dating.” The words were echoing in her mind, again and again, and her heart was aching. She hoped she heard wrong, that she was making a mistake, but then Weiss looked at Blake and Ruby knew she heard right. She had never seen Weiss look at someone like that but had hoped for so long that she would be the one on the receiving end of that loving look.

Then Yang went to congratulate the couple and Ruby’s heart finished breaking. “I’m so happy that you two are finally together.” ‘Finally’? Yang knew. She had known they were into each other. And she hadn’t said anything. Why? She knew she loved Weiss, how could have she done that?

“How could you…?” Ruby couldn’t take it, she couldn’t stay here. She used her semblance and left the room before anyone could stop her, leaving rose petals behind.

In a few seconds, she found herself in front of the statue near Beacon’s entrance, tears falling on the stone pavement as she sat down on the little wall circling it. Weiss had gotten so much friendlier since the beginning of the year, she had opened up to her teammates and wasn’t as mean as she used to. Ruby had thought that maybe, if things continued that way, she could be something more than friends with Weiss. She was so pretty, so smart, so—

Ruby’s entire body shook with a sob stronger than the others as she was thinking of the girl she loved.

She was dating Blake. Ruby wanted to hate Blake for taking Weiss from her, but she couldn’t. Blake was her friend and she hadn’t done anything bad, but it felt so unfair. When Weiss had danced with Neptune, it had hurt but Ruby had been able to get over it pretty easily. It wasn’t anyone’s fault they weren’t compatible, but then Yang told her Weiss liked girls and Ruby had been overjoyed. She still had a chance after all. But then Blake came in. She couldn’t compete with Blake. She was tall, pretty, smart, funny… Of course Weiss had preferred her, they weren’t in the same league at all. It didn’t hurt any less, in fact it might be even worse because she knew that they would be happy together, which was great, but she wouldn’t be part of that happiness.

And there was Yang. She had seemed to know Blake and Weiss dating was a possibility, why did she get her hopes up by only telling her Weiss was into girls? It didn’t make any sense, Yang would occasionally make fun of her, and her of Yang, but that was a lot more mean-spirited than that. That was playing with her emotions and she couldn’t understand why she would do that.

After a long moment, the tears stopped falling and Ruby felt very tired. She couldn’t go back to her room, not with Weiss and Blake there, but she would rather avoid sleeping outside if possible. Team JNPR’s dorm was quickly ruled out. Not only was it too close to her own room, Pyrrha and Jaune would probably try to give her advices about the situation and, as much as she liked them, she wasn’t sure these two would be any help. The problem was that she hadn’t made a lot of friends at Beacon and she couldn’t see herself asking Ms. Goodwitch for a vacant room to spend the night.

“Woof!” Zwei had followed Ruby, having noticed there was something wrong with his mistress. He licked her hand to get her attention and got some scratches between the ears for his loyalty.

“Thanks Zwei.” Then a small smile appeared on Ruby’s face for the first time since she saw Weiss and Blake earlier. She had made other friends recently.

* * *

Silence accompanied the fall of rose petals in team RWBY’s room. They had been caught by surprise by Ruby’s sudden departure from the room and weren’t sure how to react.  
Blake was the first one to come back to her sense and saw that Yang was clenching her fists, her knuckles white. “Why don’t you go after her?”

“If I thought it would help, I would already be gone. But what should I say? ‘Sorry for not telling you Weiss was in love with someone else’? I would only make it worse.” Yang took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Ruby isn’t stupid, she won’t run somewhere dangerous by mistake. She’s probably still on campus, but I think she’s going to need some time alone to sort everything.” A voice wavered a little, but she kept talking. “I trust her, I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Yang…”

“She’s fine.” Yang spoke louder than she intended and took another deep breath. “Sorry, I just… Ruby knows how to defend herself if anything happens, let’s talk about something else.” Yang turned to look at Weiss, who hadn’t moved since their leader left, no emotion showing on her face. “Are you alright princess?”

“I just hoped my best friend would be happy that I got a girlfriend, but instead she ran away. Other than that, everything is perfect.” Weiss was tense, trying to avoid letting emotion filter through her voice.  
“I know it’s not the same but… I’m happy for you.” Yang gave a sunny smile to the heiress, trying to make her feel a little better.

Weiss didn’t move at first, making Yang think her attempt to cheer her up had fail, but she started moving toward the blond, slowly and stiffly, before putting her arms around her and giving her a very awkward hug. “Thank you.”

Yang put her arms around her friend, enjoying the rare opportunity to give Weiss a hug.

Weiss moved away before too long. “Don’t make this a habit, you’re clearly not as good a hugger as Blake.”

Yang laughed. “I missed you too Weiss, good to see you’re still you.” She turned toward Blake and opened her arms. “Do you want your congratulatory hug now?”

Blake rolled her eyes at the proposal, but her smile betrayed her amusement. “Only if you stop going for my butt. It was funny before, but now that I’m with Weiss…”

“Of course.”

Having her best friend congratulating and supporting her made Blake happier than she would have thought. She hoped their relationship wouldn’t change just because she got a girlfriend.

Weiss waited patiently for the two girls to stop hugging, ignoring the pangs of jealousy she knew had no reason to exist, before talking. “What is it about you going after my girlfriends’ backside?”

Blake and Yang looked at each other, smiling, before Blake explained it to Weiss. “Yang accidentally touched my butt when hugging me last year, and it more or less became a joke between us that she would try to touch it and I would stop her.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t feel right to keep doing that now.”

“As magnificent as Blake’s booty is, I don’t want things to become weird between us. If you think I’m going too far, please tell me. I’d hate to cause problems between you two.” Yang knew that the way she acted with close friends could easily be misinterpreted and she didn’t want to take any risks with Weiss. As much as she liked the heiress, their respective personality made it easy for the two to get angry at each other.

Weiss moved closer to Blake and slapped her butt, leaving her hand on it. “Mine.”

Blake and Yang looked at her wide-eyed, surprised by the unusual behavior of the heiress. She would never have acted like that a week ago.

Seeing the way her friends were looking at her, Weiss couldn’t hold back a snicker before bursting into laughter. The blond and the Faunus quickly followed suit and the next minutes consisted of one of the girls managing to calm down before going back to laughing again because of the other two.

They stopped laughing after a few more minutes, their faces red and smiling. Yang was the first to be able to talk. “Thank you, Weiss, it feels good to be back.”

“You’re welcome. How was your time with your dad?” It would be a lie to say that Weiss wasn’t a little jealous that Yang could look forward so much to spend time with her dad, but she knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault other than her own father’s.

“Patch is a good place to relax and it was nice to spend some time with Dad. We… also went to see Mom. It had been a while. It’s never easy, especially for Ruby, but it always feels… right, to talk to her about our lives.”

“Your parents don’t live together?”

Blake’s eyes went wide when she heard Weiss’ question. She had no way to know about Summer, but Blake was still worried Yang wouldn’t take it well. Thankfully, her worries were unfounded.

“Our mom, her name was Summer Rose, was a huntress. Both our parents were. She was super strong and really kind and a good cook and all around amazing, but one day… she went on a mission and never came back. We waited and waited… in vain. Ruby… I’m not sure she really understood what it meant at the time, but she was inconsolable and my dad didn’t help, he just… shut down. I was angry, sad and I couldn’t understand why he was acting like that, before I learned it wasn’t the first time he went through something like that. My mom, my biological mother I mean, left me with him right after I was born and disappeared without telling anyone anything.” Yang sighed. That story never got easier to tell. “And that’s the story of the Xiao Long – Rose household.”

“I’m—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Weiss felt awful, forcing Yang think about that while it clearly wasn’t an easy subject for her.

“Don’t worry about it.” Yang’s smile was back. While the story wasn’t easy to tell, she had learned to not let it sour her mood. “We’re going to be a team for at least four years, probably longer, you would have learned sooner or later.”

“Probably… longer?” Weiss had avoided thinking too much about what would happen to team RWBY after Beacon. Not only was the situation with the SDC complicated, she was also afraid that Ruby, Blake and Yang would leave her, maybe finding a teammate that wasn’t a much of a pain that she could be.

Yang frowned before remembering that not everyone was born in a family of huntsmen. “After graduation, some people choose to work alone, while others stay with their team, allowing them to take on more dangerous missions. Ruby and I are planning to stay together, we were hoping it would be the same for you.” She couldn’t contain a laugh seeing the mix of surprise and relief on Weiss’ face. “Why are you so surprised? We like you Weiss, of course we want to stay on a team with you.”

Weiss was about to answer when she was interrupted by the ringing of Blake’s scroll.

The Faunus frowned at the name on the scroll and answered, the other two girls staying silent. “Hello?... Really?... I’ll tell her, I’m sure she’ll be relieved… Can’t wait to see the result, I’m sure W—she will like it too… See you later.” She put her scroll back next to her bed and turned toward Yang. “Ruby is at team CFVY’s dorm. She is talking with Coco about… a lot of stuff apparently.”

Yang let out a sigh of relief. “Good.”

“Yang… Do you know why she left? Does she have a problem with us?”

The blond looked at her two teammates. They were worried, and clearing up what happened would avoid them assuming the worst. “Ruby…” She let out a sigh. She shouldn’t be one the telling them that, but given the circumstances… “Ruby had a crush on you, Weiss.”

Weiss’ expression didn’t change, but she was surprised to learn that. Sure, Ruby liked to hug her and spend time with her, but wasn’t she like that with everyone?

Yang continued her explanation. “She would always tell me how nice you were when you helped her with her homework, how you cared about us even if you didn’t show it, how pretty and smart you were… She was so happy that you gave her a chance as a leader. She never said anything because she didn’t think you liked girls, and she was super happy to learn you did. I’m sorry about that by the way, it wasn’t my place to tell her, but…”

Weiss shook her head. “Don’t worry about that, I would have told her if she had been with us the other day.”

Yang nodded. “Then the next day, you told me you loved Blake.” She let out a small giggle, trying to lighten the mood. “That was an… interesting situation.”

“Why?” Weiss’ emotions were filtering through her voice. “Why help me when you knew that Ruby…” Her voice trailed off, as she was unable to finish her sentence.

“What would have happened then? Maybe you and Ruby would have gotten together, and then what? If Blake is your type, how well would it have gone with Ruby? Worse, what if you had been with Ruby only because you wanted to forget Blake? I think it’s better for everyone and for the team it happened like that. And to be completely honest, I’m not sure what Ruby feels for you is love, more like a lot of admiration and respect. I think we should give her some time to sorts her feelings, but I’m sure everything will be alright after that.”

“I… hope so.”

Blake got closer to her girlfriend and gave her a hug. She knew how important friends were to her and that seeing Ruby leave like that must have hurt.

Weiss gave her a quick kiss before leaning into the hug. She didn’t care that Yang was there, she just wanted to be with Blake, to be sure not everyone was about to run and leave her alone.

Yang smiled at the scene of her two friends hugging and Weiss genuinely enjoying it. Since things were calming down, maybe a funny story could help. “You know, Ruby only got interested in relationships and what comes with it recently, she never was very social and has always been rather… innocent. A few years ago, my dad and I were eating breakfast when Ruby came down from our room and asked why my fashion magazine only had people in their underwear in it.” She sighed, remembering how embarrassed she had been at the time.

“I guess you didn’t have it for fashion advice.” Weiss smirked at Yang, happy to not be on the receiving side of the teasing for once.

“It’s perfectly normal to have something like that. I said it was a fashion magazine because I thought she wouldn’t be interested in it. I couldn’t have guessed that Ruby would want to change her style at the time.” Yang wasn’t sure why she had gotten so defensive, maybe something in the heiress’ tone…

“Don’t worry, she completely agrees with you about having one of those.” Blake’s words got a look of indignation from Weiss and a laugh from Yang.

“Meanie.” Weiss tried to get away from her girlfriend, but Blake held her and she soon stopped struggling. The Faunus was comfortable enough to ignore the occasional teasing and she went back to hugging her while Blake’s hands went to play with hers.

Yang couldn’t stop thinking about how cute they were being. “Anyway, my dad took the magazine and said that he understood why I had one but that I shouldn’t have let Ruby find it. I just wanted it to end so we could all forget about that, but a few days later, Dad decided to give Ruby and I the talk. You can probably guess how comfortable everyone was.” She winced at the memories, remembering the long silence that had filled the room when the sisters had understood what their father wanted to talk about but couldn’t find the words to say.

“I can’t.” Weiss could imagine how embarrassing the situation could be, but she would have taken it over years of loneliness. “My parents just gave me a book that explained everything when I asked how babies were made. I’m glad that they knew I was mature enough to understand and that they didn’t sugarcoat it, and I went back to it regularly over the years, but… it would have been better if not every familial interaction had been like that…”

Blake had been getting along well with her mother at the time, and those discussion had been interesting and the occasion to learn more about herself but she didn’t feel like bringing it up. Cheering up Weiss felt like a better course of action. “I can teach you if you think you missed something.”

Weiss’ face went completely red and she muttered a small ‘Dolt’, but the small smile appeared on her face as her mood improved slightly.

Yang cleared her throat to get the attention of her friends back. “Not that I would mind watching, that, but…” The stare Weiss gave her almost could have been scary if Blake hadn’t been hugging her and playing with her fingers, making her look a lot less threatening. “Right. To his credit, my dad did his best. He had done his research and knew what he was talking about, but… it was still weird for everyone present. I had managed to learn a lot by myself and ended up helping him explaining things to Ruby. I think he really missed Mom that day. Since we both already knew we wanted to go to Beacon at the time, he really insisted about us not getting pregnant while still at school and on how to prevent it. I think he was relieved when he learned about you two and that we weren’t in a mixed team.”

Weiss shook her head, shuddering. “I can’t even imagine what my father’s reaction would be if I came home pregnant. Not that there are any risks.”

“Blake hid that she was a Faunus for some time, maybe you should be careful.” Yang’s joke got an unamused stare from Blake, to which she responded with an innocent smile.

“It’ll be fine.” Weiss answered calmly, before blushing when she realized what she had just implied.

Blake’s face took the same color as her girlfriend’s and she let out a whimper. She knew Yang wouldn’t let go of something like that.

The blond raised her eyebrows and whistled. “I… guess you’re the expert.” It was a perfect opportunity for teasing, but Weiss looked so peaceful in her girlfriend’s arms she didn’t want to upset her. This time. As soon as she was alone with Blake though…

Weiss broke down the hug and stood up. “I’m going to go train a little and get some food for tonight on the way back, give you two some time to talk.”

“You don’t have to do that, we can talk with you here.” Yang was sounding a little worried.

“Blake and I are dating, not conjoined twins. We’ve been alone together for a few days, I’m sure she’ll enjoy talking to someone who isn’t me.”

Blake frowned, still no liking when Weiss was making fun of herself. Not that it was a bad thing in and of itself, but coming from her, it felt like she believed it sometimes.  
Ignoring that, Weiss gave Blake a kiss before taking Myrtenaster and leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	21. Best friends

Yang frowned as she watched Weiss leave the room. She had left calmly, not angrily like it had happened a few times before, but something felt weird about the way the scene had played out. “Is everything all right?”

Blake kept looking at the door for a few seconds before sighing and looking at her best friend. “I think Weiss is scared I will leave her if she is anything less than perfect and she doesn’t want to be seen as too clingy.” Being able to talk about that with Yang felt good. “I’m… I’m a little worried she’s pushing herself too much, wanting to go too fast, to do all the things couples do as soon as possible.” She had more specific examples in mind, but that would require telling Yang about things she hadn’t planned to just yet. “I don’t want her to do something she’ll regret.”

“Has she said something that made it sound like she was forcing herself?”

“Not… really, it’s just… she acted differently…”

“Then… You know what? I’m sure you know what I’m about to tell you.” Yang winked at the other girl, it was a lesson she should know pretty well by know.

Blake sighed. “Talk to her.” Of course she knew it, but old habits were hard to shake off, Adam was not someone who handled criticism well. She wasn’t sure how Weiss would react, but it had to be done.

“Good.” Yang smile disappeared as she remembered an old conversation she had with Weiss. She wouldn’t normally tell anyone, but given the circumstances, it might help. “The other day… after she told me she liked you, she asked me if I thought someone could love her.”

Hearing that, Blake felt her nails digging into her palm. She had a pretty good idea of why Weiss thought that and who was responsible. She felt sad learning Weiss had asked that question, but she wasn’t really surprised. She even suspected the reason Weiss kept people at arm’s length was a consequence of thinking that way, after all, if people couldn’t like her, then the only reason they called themselves her friends was to take advantage of her. Ruby’s effort since the beginning of the year had done wonders for the heiress’ self-esteem but Blake decided she would give her a big hug as soon as possible.

Yang continued. “With what you told me about her family… Well, it’s not really a surprise she acts like she always has to prove she deserved to be loved.” Seeing the frown of her dark-haired friend, Yang decided to change the subject. Keeping on this subject would only upset Blake even more. “How are you two doing other than that?”

The black-haired girl relaxed and her lips stretched into a smile. “It’s been pretty amazing so far. It’s not perfect, we had a few…disagreement, but still… Weiss is really kind and caring when you get to know her. She made a tuna pizza for me last night,” she was beaming at the memories of what Weiss had done for her lately. A few months ago, she would never have believed all that was possible, “she offered me some black nail polish I wanted to try for years and some perfume for Faunus, she went with me to my favorite bookstore, she even sang for me… She is beautiful when she sings… Not that she isn’t the rest of the time… I love how her hair catch the light, I love how her scar accentuate her blue eyes, I love how beautiful her skin is, I love feeling her hands warm-up between mines, I love her amazing legs…” Blake saw Yang holding back a laugh and realized how infatuated she had sounded. Her face went completely red and her ears tried to flatten on her head, making her bow twitch. How did the characters in her book manage to be poetic about their loves without sounding stupid like that?

Yang stopped herself from laughing because she didn’t want her friend to think she was making fun of her, but seeing the usually aloof Blake so passionate was unexpected and heart-warming. “You are completely in love. I’m happy for you.” She took Blake in her arms and gave her a hug. Blake had issues trusting people and tended to keep her problems for herself, maybe being with Weiss would help her. “And the nail polish looks good on you.”

After getting used to her girlfriend’s low body temperature, hugging Yang quickly felt too warm to be comfortable for Blake. She broke off the hug, a small apologetic smile on her face. “Sorry, It’s a little too hot for me.”

Yang faked disappointment. “But you used to love my hugs… It’s Weiss, isn’t it? She ruined hugs with me for you?” She sighed, resigned. “Well, with legs like that, I can understand.”

Blake cheeks took a slight pink coloration as she thought about her girlfriend’s bare legs. She stood up suddenly and went to take a pen and a notebook from her desk. She hadn’t felt the urge to draw since she left the White Fang, and the only thing she had managed to doodle until now had been Adam.

“Blake?” Yang wasn’t sure what her friend was doing and whether it meant their discussion was over.

“Don’t worry, we can still talk. I’m used to drawing while doing something else.”

“Ooookay…” Yang had seen Blake doodle during class, but it was the first time she saw her drawing seriously. She was curious to see how it would turn out. A grin appeared on her lips. Now that they were alone, it was the perfect opportunity for more… interesting questions. “Weiss seemed very certain that you weren’t hiding anything that could make her pregnant.” She could see the blush creep on the Faunus’ face, even as she tried to stay focused on her drawing. “It’s almost like she had checked herself…” Blake was now completely red and Yang decided to stop teasing her and get to the point. “Did you two have sex?”

Blake sighed. Talking about their sexual adventures was something that happened quite often in the White Fang, not really having a lot else to do at night around the campfire, but it felt strange for it to be about herself, having always been more of a listener. “We haven’t. I’d rather wait a little. You… think I shouldn’t?” She stopped drawing and looked at her friend. She thought she had made the right decision, not wanting to rush especially with Weiss being the other person, but Yang knew more than her on the subject.

Yang’s expression got serious. As much as she liked joking and teasing, Blake was looking for advice and her big sister’s instinct took over. “I think you should do what feels right. If you want to do it right now, you can, if you want to wait after marriage, it’s also possible. I don’t really see the point, if I want to have fun, why wait? But I’m not you, I’m not Weiss, and I don’t think we want the same things out of a relationship in general.” A small smile appeared on the lips of the blond. “All I ask is that you warn me so that Ruby and I don’t barge in the room while you two are doing it.”

Blake managed to keep the blush brought by the idea to a minimum. Ruby and Yang, opening the door to the room to find her watching over a naked, restrained, blinded Weiss, leaving her to do as she pleased with her beautiful body… Blake caught herself as she was starting a new doodle in the corner of the page in front of her and did her best to hide the start of a very inappropriate drawing of her girlfriend in an abstract pattern that would hopefully pass for a flourish. She forced herself to go back to the conversation to prevent her mind from wandering. “You thought about this a lot, didn’t you?”

“I had to. My father never forbade me to see boys, he only said he trusted me to know what I was comfortable with and be careful not to do anything stupid, but when I learned some boy at Signal had a crush on Ruby, I got angry, my dad caught me saying I would teach him a lesson and we had a long discussion about it. He said he was proud of me for taking care of my little sister but that I was going too far and that I should think of how I would have felt if he had acted like that with me.” Yang had turned around in her bed a long time before finding sleep that night. The next day, she had decided that she would only go after the guy if he hurt Ruby intentionally, because hunting everything that might hurt her sister would be bad for both of them.

“Your dad seems like a good dad.” Blake had never been extremely close to her own dad, getting along with her mother a lot better, but just knowing who he was had avoided a lot of similar problem during her time in the White Fang. Like every time she thought about her parents, a sickening feeling of guilt appeared in her stomach.

A warm smile appeared on Yang’s face as she thought about her dad. “He does his best.” Life hadn’t always been kind to Taiyang Xiao Long, but after almost losing his two daughters to the Grimm just after his second wife never came back from a mission, he always put them first and did everything he could for them.

Happy to see that all the people she knew didn’t have a rocky relationship with their father, Blake went back to her drawing. “Did you have a lot of success in Patch?”

“I’m a blond with big boobs that shows skin and likes having fun, of course I had a lot a success.” Yang winked at her friend. She knew how other people saw her and didn’t hesitate to use it to her advantage. “I had sex here and there at parties outside of relationships, but I usually stop at making out. As fun as it is, it can too easily turn to drama, then rumors start to circulate, then Ruby hears them and things get ugly. She came home crying one day because she heard some people in my year talk about me in… less than kind terms and she beat them up to defend me.”

Blake’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “She beat up a group of people two years older than her by herself?”

“It was after uncle Qrow started training her, and she is in class with us now, is it that surprising?”

“No, you’re right.”

“Well, the teachers at Signal heard about it and punished her, and she was crying because she didn’t understand why she was being punished for defending me when I was being insulted. I went to less parties after that, because I realized how much Ruby was looking up to me and I wanted to be a good role model for her. I want to enjoy life, but not at Ruby’s expense, and unlike you and Weiss, I’m not really interested in a long-term relationship right now. And it does feel a lot better when you love the other person.” Yang looked at the wall, remembering the good and bad times of past relationships. She missed falling asleep in the arms of someone else sometimes, but she certainly didn’t miss the fights.

“It sounds a little like you are not doing what you want to do because of Ruby, I’m not sure she’d like that. And she’s older now.”

Yang faked a shocked expression. “Blake Belladonna, are you inciting me to go out and party?” A more genuine smile appeared on her face, ignoring her friend’s unamused expression. “Maybe you’re right. There probably will be a party somewhere before classes start, maybe I’ll go.” And maybe going back to the dating scene could be fun… No, it was still too early for that, and she didn’t feel like hooking up just for a night either. Just partying would still be fun, especially if she managed to get someone to come with her.

Blake looked critically at her drawing. It was slowly coming together but she wasn’t sure she would be able to do her subject justice. “I hope you’ll have fun.”

Now that they had finished on that subject, a predatory grin appeared on Yang’s lips. If Blake thought she didn’t have more questions about her relationship coming, she was severely mistaken. “If you two haven’t slept together, the question remains as to how she saw you naked.”

By that point, Blake had found a way to explain it without having to tell Yang she was scared of thunder and that Weiss had accompanied her to take a shower. “Because I don’t always put on clothes after a shower.”

Yang smiled disappeared and a pout replaced it. How anti-climactic. “Oh, right. You’re no fun, you know that?”

Blake grinned without looking at her friend, focused on the paper in front of her. “Sorry my sex life isn’t more entertaining to you.”

“Come on, I’m sure you must have something.”

“Maybe there’s nothing to say because we haven’t talked about it and we are two pure angels that wouldn’t dream of doing anything untoward before marriage.”

Yang’s unamused stare didn’t leave Blake, trying see the moment she would lose her composure. After a few seconds, the blond decided that while that usually worked with her sister, the Faunus was another story. “Your favorite book has a nondescript black cover and is called ‘Ninjas of Love’, I know what type of books they are, and the way Weiss kissed you and looked at you didn’t say ‘I’ll wait patiently’ as much as ‘I want you right now’. Also, you said you wanted to wait, so you clearly have given it some thought.”

Blake glanced at her friend without moving her head, annoyed. Yang could be very perceptive when she wanted. “Well, we talked a lot.” Not completely true, but it was better than her learning about Velvet’s photography and their own roleplay. “I learned that Weiss liked Faunus traits a lot. As in tails, ears…” she added seeing Yang’s confusion.

A grin appearing on the face of the blond. “Better make sure Velvet doesn’t steal her.”

“Are you saying I’m not as pretty as she is? I’m hurt.” Blake wore a little smirk, trying to affect playful disinterest, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Weiss found Velvet pretty. Not that she was worried, but a little curiosity couldn’t hurt.

Yang looked at her friends from head to toe, comparing her to the rabbit Faunus. “I think she has you beat in the cuteness department.”

Blake stopped drawing and looked at the girl beside her. “What? I’m way cuter than her.” She knew it wasn’t really important, but there was no way Yang was being serious. Seeing no laugh indicating it was a joke coming to Yang, she frowned. “We’ll ask Weiss and she’ll tell you you’re wrong.” Weiss had said she was cute, there was no way she was wrong.

Yang chuckled, surprised to see her usually aloof friend so worked up. “I’m sure she will.” Blake didn’t seem inclined to give more detail, so the blond tried one last time to get her to talk. “I just hope Weiss won’t be too… vanilla for you.” Her attempt to provoke a reaction was completely transparent and she had to stop herself from wincing at her own lack of subtlety.

Blake let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a derisive snort. “That’s not really something I have to worry about.” She sighed. As much as she liked Yang, she could be a little forceful when she wanted something. “Yang, I know what you’re doing and I’d like to be able to talk with you about it, but Weiss and I have only been together for a few days, we still have a lot to figure out and we think it’s better if we keep it between us for now.”

“Alright, I understand, sorry if I went a little far. Just be sure to talk to someone if there is any trouble, I’m always willing to listen to you.” Yang knew she was insisting a little too much, but she was too used to being a big sister to not at least give it a try. “What are you drawing?”

Blake took the time to put the finishing touches to her drawing before showing it to her friend. Weiss was looking at her with love in her eyes, her lips stretched into a loving smile. Yang understood that this was what Blake saw when Weiss was looking at her, an expression that the heiress reserved exclusively for the girl she loved. The drawing was simple, just above a basic sketch and with minimal shading, but with a lot of attention to detail. The lack of practice could be felt, but the love for the subject did a good job at making up for it. Yang would have bet that Blake had gotten the scar perfectly right. “I’m going to fall in love with her if she looks at me like that.”

A slight blush colored Blake’s cheek but her smile didn’t waver. “She’s just so pretty, I wanted this to be as close as how I saw her as possible.” She paused a few seconds before continuing. “Do you think she’ll like it?” She would normally be more confident about her drawing skills, but it was a very personal gift and she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle Weiss not liking it.

Yang put an arm around Blake’s shoulders and pulled her close to her. “I’m sure she will. There’s no way she isn’t happy to have her girlfriend drawing her in a way that makes her even more beautiful than usual.”

“You are making a lot of references to Weiss being attractive, should I worry?” Blake was grinning at her friend, not really worried. She couldn’t imagine Weiss cheating on her.

Yang, however, answered very seriously. “Weiss is one of the prettiest girl at Beacon and the only reason you’re not ex aequo with her is because of how naturally graceful and princess-like she is. You are two beautiful women and I would sleep with either or both of you without any problem. However, I don’t think I would be able to provide what you two want in a relationship. You want something stable, someone that will be there we it seems the whole world is against you. I want something exciting, unpredictable, filled with passion, and most relationship like that will probably end up being pretty short. I don’t want to lose my two best friends like that.” Her expression softened a little toward the end.

Blake’s eyes went wide, surprised by how direct the blond had been. “That’s… Thanks, I think.” She wasn’t sure how to react to what she had just heard. It made her happy to be praised like that, but hearing Yang say she would have no problem sleeping with them… Not that Weiss would accept anyway. “I have a few things I’d like to touch up before giving it to Weiss.”

Yang nodded and went back to unpacking from her trip to patch, her cheeks a little pink from her confession and her heart still beating rapidly. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but she found Weiss and Blake very attractive and didn’t want either of them to confuse that for love. Avoiding misunderstanding would prevent their life from turning into a stupid romantic comedy plot. She also put away Ruby’s clothes, feeling she owed her at least that much. Talking with Blake had been a good distraction, but she couldn’t get the face her sister had made before running out of her mind. She had looked so sad and betrayed. Well, as much as it hurt, there was nothing to do but wait for now…

* * *

“… And then I said—”

Yang’s story of her time home was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Weiss entered the room, Myrtenaster at her side and a bag in one hand. She had removed her jacket, exposing her shoulders and arms, her skin glistening slightly after her training.

It took Blake a few seconds to stop admiring her and standing up to go welcome her. “Weiss.” She went to give her a hug and kiss her, but she stopped by a small glyph that appeared in front of her.

“Sorry, but I’m all sweaty from training and I’d like to take a shower.” Weiss hated using the shower in the locker room where there was no privacy. “I brought back food, only the unhealthiest, sweetest things they had.” She wasn’t a big fan of this type of food but knew Blake and Yang enjoyed it so she had already eaten something healthier on the way to be less hungry. Eating with only the three of them in the empty halls of the cafeteria would be too depressing, the room was better.

“You know how to make a girl happy.” Yang took the food from her teammate as she went to take a shower. A bunch of junk food was perfect to celebrate coming back to beacon.

The heiress put her rapier next to her bed and took her night gown with her. A good shower would make her feel better after training.

* * *

Weiss came out of the shower a few minutes later, her hair down and wearing her pajamas. Blake immediately jumped to her feet and went to hug and kiss her. The heiress was pleasantly surprised and kissed her back. They would have to dial it back in the future, but she would enjoy it fully for now. Being greeted by a hug and a kiss when she came back was something she could definitely get used to.

“I got a text from Velvet.” Weiss was so quiet that only being right next to her allowed Blake to understand what she had just told. If she didn’t want Yang to overhear, that meant it probably had to do with the photoshoots. Velvet had only sent a message to Weiss, thinking that Blake had probably been catching up with her best friend and not wanting to bother her. That that friend was Yang had also played a part in Blake not getting a text. If the blond learned about the photoshoots, she might want to come with Blake and Weiss and she would probably overshadow her teammates in front of the camera as long as they didn’t have more experience.

The black-haired girl turned toward Yang, not hugging her girlfriend anymore but still holding her hand. “Could we have a few minutes?”

“Sure.” Yang thought that Blake was about to talk with Weiss about going too fast and was pleasantly surprised that she took action so quickly and not waited longer. She wasn’t entirely wrong, but couldn’t know that it was because Blake thought she should have said something even earlier. She waved at them while leaving the room, not really sure of what she would be doing given the hour and the fact that a lot of students were still away. She shrugged. At least Weiss and Blake would be able to talk.

Weiss waited to heart the door close before talking. “Velvet said she had almost finished going through our photos and I asked if she could send me one.” She took her scroll and showed Blake the picture. The screen was too small to really appreciate it as the expressions of the two girls were hard to see, and Blake was very interested on seeing a bigger version of it. On the picture, Blake could be seen sitting on a chair while Weiss was on her knees next to her, the Faunus’ hand on the other girl’s head, caressing her pure white hair. 

Blake remembered how she had felt at the time, the excitement of doing something like that, the warmth of her girlfriend against her, the silky feeling of the hair running through her fingers. And, if she was honest with herself, a little arousal at the idea of Weiss obeying her every order, even if it never went that far. But all those feelings couldn’t hide the uneasiness she had started to feel after thinking about what had happened, how different Weiss had acted at the time, a lot more forward than she usually was.

Weiss pocketed her scroll and added “She wrote that she might be available for another photoshoot in a day or two if we were interested, and also something about being ready for Coco.” She frowned. “I’m not really sure what she meant by that.”

“Weiss.” The name came abruptly as Blake made up her mind. She could think of reasons to wait longer, but that would be looking for excuses. “We need to talk. About… about what we did yesterday.”

“Oh.” Weiss’ smile disappeared as she understood what Blake was talking about. She had screwed up. Of course she had, she was Weiss Schnee, the ice queen that pushed people away because she was scared to let them see who she really was. She could feel tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. Strange, she normally wouldn’t cry so easily. Maybe Ruby’s reaction had affected her more than she had thought and Blake wanting to talk again about the previous day on top of it was too much for her.

Blake’s eyes went wide. Why was she reacting like that? _After she told me she liked you, she asked me if I thought someone could love her._ Yang’s words echoed in her mind and she realized what was happening. She was getting used to it, but she would appreciate it if Weiss’ mind stopped jumping to the worst possible conclusions. She sighed, removed her bow and took her girlfriend’s hands in hers. “Weiss, I love you.” That had been enough to get the white-haired girl’s attention. “That’s not going to change just because of a few mistakes, I just want to talk about it.”

Weiss took a deep breath. “You’re right, sorry. I think I’m a little tired.” A small smile was back on her face. Of course Blake just wanted to talk and nothing more.

Blake enjoyed the smile of her girlfriend before continuing. “I know I said I was okay with it, and I mean it, I don’t regret what we have done, just… I think we went too fast. We shouldn’t have done something like that so soon and… it felt like you were forcing yourself.”

The heiress could see the worry on the face of her girlfriend. “What makes you say that?”

“You were acting… differently. You come back here to shower after training so no one sees you, but you had no problem undressing in front of Velvet and I, you don’t like talking about sex but you were completely fine with Velvet taking pictures of you in your underwear next to me. I just… I don’t understand.”

Weiss thought for a moment before answering. “What I told Velvet was true, seeing Pyrrha getting hurt like that… I thought it could have been you. But that wasn’t all.” She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she talked, knowing what was about to come. She had never told anyone, but hopefully Blake would understand. “I read this graphic novel, it was a romance between two women and there was a lot o—of…” Why was it so hard to say, it was just four little letters? She knew why. It was because once she had said it, there would be no going back. Blake would know. She could still lie, say that she had gotten too excited by her first relationship… No, she had to do it. “… of BDSM.” Weiss looked into Blake’s eyes, trying to catch a look of disgust or fear, or anything that would put an end to the discussion right now. There was nothing but curiosity and a few lingering traces of worry, waiting for her to finish her story. “When I read it, I felt… something different than with most stories. The way they trusted each other, the way they desired each other… I wanted something like that, being able to forget everything and entrust myself to the girl I loved, being able to stop being Weiss Schnee and just… being honest about what I liked and wanted to do.” Weiss thought she would be incredibly embarrassed, even if she would manage to hide it thanks to her education about how to act in public, and while her cheeks had been tinged with red for a while, being able to share one of her biggest fantasy with her girlfriend felt very good, liberating more than embarrassing. It was one less thing she had to hide from her.

The aftercare scene was something that Weiss had never forgotten. The moment the two girls stopped their game and let their true feelings out, the love they felt for each other present in every word, every caress, when they assured each other that no matter what had happened they still cared deeply for each other… For the lonely girl in her big bed, that display of affection had felt like a dream, something she could strive for but would never truly reach. Then the opportunity to have something close to that had appeared and Weiss had avoided considering the reasons it might have been a bad idea, something she regretted in retrospect.

Her girlfriend took some time to answer. She knew Weiss wasn’t as innocent as she liked to pretend she was, but it was still a pretty big surprise. A nice surprise though, there were a few scenes from Ninjas of Love involving ropes and cuffs that she had always found… interesting, if probably far from how things worked in reality. “I didn’t think it was that important to you.” She had thought it was just another way for Weiss go against her father, to spite him by being ‘improper’, but there was more to it. “Believe me, I completely understand the idea of wanting to be able to trust someone completely and wanting to feel loved, but we shouldn’t have done it that fast.” Blake kissed her girlfriend lightly to soften her words. “Let’s take some time to get used to each other before breaking out the ropes. I won’t be disappointed or angry if you want to take it slow. Also, I want you to show me that book one day.”

Weiss chuckled lightly and a smile persisted on her lips. “Maybe next time we get to Vale.” She had noticed that Blake was very insistent on her being the one wanting to wait and the heiress wondered if Blake wasn’t the one needing some time. While it wasn’t as meaningless for her as some people she had known and despite what the rumors said, Weiss didn’t consider sex to be all that special if something she didn’t like talking about because of the people that had made fun of her when she had. She wouldn’t sleep with someone she didn’t love but she didn’t feel like she needed to wait a certain amount of time before doing it. Not that Blake didn’t have a point in saying she went too fast with the roleplay, she got caught by the excitement and didn’t think too much about it to avoid the embarrassment that probably would have stopped her. But she wouldn’t say any of that. If Blake wanted to wait, it was fine and if she felt more comfortable presenting it that way, Weiss would let her do it. All she wanted for now was to enjoy her time with her girlfriend.

After a moment, Blake went back to her desk and took a piece of paper on it. She approached Weiss slowly, almost like she was afraid to scare her. “This… this is for you.” She handed the paper to Weiss, looking everywhere but directly at her.

Weiss was confused for a second. Why did Blake have a drawing of the girl in the mirror? She looked so happy... Then the realization hit Weiss and she looked at Blake and asked, her voice shaking slightly. “Is this… me?”

Her girlfriend frowned, not sure why she was asking this question. “Yes.”

“I love it.” Her girlfriend had managed to make her so pretty and happy in her drawing, she felt a lot better than a few minutes before.

For a second, Blake saw her drawing come to life in front of her, Weiss’ bright smile matching the one on the paper, and she lost herself inside the blue eyes looking at her, nothing else mattering other than enjoying the sight in front of her.

Weiss was the one to break the spell. “Maybe you should text Yang to come back.”

“You’re right.” She barely had come back and was already waiting outside because of the couple in the team. Blake felt a little sorry for her. She sent the message and decided to make use of the time before her friend was back. “Weiss, I have a very important question for you.”

Weiss swallowed nervously. They had gone through a serious discussion already, but Blake seemed to be somehow more serious and less serious than before, at the same time. The only thing the heiress could think of was that it didn’t relate directly to them being together, but that it was still important for Blake.

“Am I cuter than Velvet?”

It took a few seconds for Weiss to be sure that she had heard correctly. Not only was the question strange, but she didn’t expect Blake of all people to be worried about something like that.

Blake usually didn’t care about being compared to someone else, but she had a little pride and Weiss and Yang were among the people whose opinion she valued. She also wanted to be the prettiest in her girlfriend’s eyes, as childish as that could sound.

“You are,” said Weiss suddenly, “You definitely are.”

A big smiled graced the catgirl’s lips. Being called cute by Weiss felt very good, she could get used to it. Maybe trying some of the outfits Velvet had put together could be fun, especially if Weiss was here to see her.

It didn’t take long after that for the door to open, letting Yang in. She understood why her friends had needed some privacy, but she was glad to finally be able to relax in her room. “Hey girls, guess who I met outside?”

Right behind her was a girl wearing sunglasses inside and with an unmistakable caramel lock of hair. “Hi.” Coco Adel entered the room, closing the door behind her. “I have news from Ruby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, it’s been a while. This chapter as had some very important changes made pretty late, which added with other factors is the reason for the lateness.
> 
> But enough of that, I have something else to say. I am currently looking for an editor for this story, not only to help with the typos but everything else that can make this story better. If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
> 
> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	22. Scar

_A few moments earlier_

Ruby was standing in front of a simple wooden door. It looked identical to the one she had seen for months, except that the room behind this one was that of a second-year team. Even as bad as she felt, Ruby wasn’t sure Coco wouldn’t be angry for being disturbed but she didn’t know who else she could go see. Her hand was shaking lightly as she knocked on the door.

The door opened a few seconds later, revealing the gigantic figure of Yatsuhashi. Even without his sword and his armor, the man was still very imposing but Ruby found it more reassuring than intimidating. He reminded her of Yang when she was angry, scary for the people who didn’t know her but doing so to protect her friends. Or because someone touched her hair, but Ruby was almost certain Yatsuhashi didn’t care about his hair as much as Yang.

Thinking about her sister reminded the young girl of her… of what she had done. Ruby didn’t want to think of it as a betrayal, she was sure her big sister had her reasons, but it still hurt a lot that she got her hopes up and didn’t tell her about Weiss liking Blake.

Seeing the red eyes and the tears pooling in their corners, as well as the lack of her usual enthusiasm, Yatsuhashi understood that there was something wrong with the small girl in front of him. “Come in.” After seeing her in that state, not inviting her in was unthinkable. Thankfully, Coco and Velvet were here tonight. Yatsuhashi was good when it came to physical threats and intimidating bullies, but comforting a fifteen years old girl he barely knew was not really something he was comfortable with.

Ruby did her best to hold back her tears and sniffles as she entered the room, followed closely by Zwei who had hidden behind her until now, not wanting to look like a crybaby in the eyes of the older students. She had to show she wasn’t a child that cried for nothing and shouldn’t be at Beacon.

When she saw Ruby enter the room, Coco immediately noticed something was wrong for the same reasons Yatsuhashi had. She grabbed the smaller girl by the shoulder and they both sat down on a bed, Coco putting her arm around Ruby’s shoulder. She looked at Zwei and sighed. She would deal with that problem later. The rest of team CFVY went back to what they were doing while keeping an eye on the scene. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s… W—Weiss and Blake… They… They’re dating… and I… I love Weiss… but…” Tears were streaming down Ruby’s face as she did her best to not break down completely. Her breath was hitching and she had to stop talking for a second to calm down a little. “I’m jealous of Blake and I hate it because she’s my friend and very nice, but when I saw her kissing Weiss it was… it was awful and I ran and I’m sure they’re annoyed that I feel like that and Yang knew but she didn’t say anything and I don’t know why and… and…” Ruby grabbed her hood and put it on, her fingers pulling on the cloth to try and hide her face. She knew she shouldn’t feel like that, that Weiss could date whoever she wanted, but it still hurt. “I’m so stupid.”

Velvet, Fox and Yatsuhashi waited in silence to see how Coco would respond. Their leader had always been good at listening to them and giving them advice, but she usually had more trouble with younger people. Except that coco didn’t see Ruby as a child. She had seen her fight, seen her train and talked with her at length about weapons and she knew she didn’t get into Beacon by mistake. Maybe she wasn’t very mature when it came to love, but she didn’t feel the uneasiness that came with talking to someone younger than her. “You’re not stupid.” She pulled the younger girl into a hug. “Anyone would feel sad in your place. I… I know I did in a similar situation.” She hoped talking about her own experience would give Ruby a new perspective on the situation, or at least keep her mind on something other than her friends.

Her teammates looked at Coco, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Things were better now, but she had been miserable at one point and they hoped she wasn’t going to reopen some old wounds.

Ruby looked at Coco, surprised. “You did? But you’re so cool, who wouldn’t want to date you?” She wasn’t crying anymore, but her eyes were still red.

Coco smiled at the compliment and started telling her story, after Velvet and Fox silently confirmed they were okay with it. “It was last year, during our first year at Beacon. I was… something happened, Velvet took care of me and I started to see her differently, probably something similar to how you felt when you got to know Weiss better.” She decided to pass quickly on the events that led her to being bedridden. Being seen as the cool older student was rather flattering, and that story was anything but. 

“Then I began to look at her more, see how pretty she was and wondering how I missed that, wanting to spend more time with her…” It wasn’t all that had happened, but she wanted to connect with Ruby and it seemed it would be more familiar to the younger girl than her attempts to flirt with Velvet or get her to drink with her, thinking alcohol would help her talk about her feelings. Not that it had worked, and Velvet telling her later that she had had a good idea of why she was doing it had stung Coco’s pride, even if she had been as nice about it as possible.

“That… does sounds familiar.” A small smile had begun returning to Ruby’s face as she listened to Coco. If her and Velvet were still friends, then there was a chance Weiss would still be hers after all of this.  
“Sometime after that, Velvet and Fox told Yatsu and I they were dating. I… didn’t react well. I left the room without saying anything, didn’t show up or call for several days and it took Velvet finding me and Yatsu dragging me here for me to come back.” Coco looked at the somber expression on her girlfriend’s face. She had been incredibly worried when she still hadn’t had any news of her friend after a few days and Coco still felt guilty for putting her through that. “I’m not saying needing some space is a bad thing, but your teammates care about you and they will worry if you don’t let them know you’re safe.” After seeing Ruby nod, she continued. “After that, I started dating… someone who I’m not going to bother naming, to stop thinking about Vel.” 

Velvet was pleasantly surprised to hear the nickname coming from Coco. She had tried to get her to use it a few times, but Coco had always said she really liked her name and only used ‘Vel’ rarely. Usually when she wanted to cuddle she had noticed, but it was different this time, maybe an apology? Velvet didn’t approve of the way Coco had acted at the time, but she knew that her girlfriend regretted it and given the way the relationship had turned… No apologies were required.

Ruby was listening to the story with interest, noting the similarities with her situation. If other people reacted like that… maybe she wasn’t so childish after all.

“Fast forward a few weeks, Velvet and Fox’s relationship ended amicably and mine ended… not that way. What I’m trying to tell you is that relationships are complicated, even when you’re older. I guess your age is something that’s bothering you?” Coco sneezed and frowned as she rubbed her nose. Her allergies were starting to act up.

Ruby didn’t really want to talk about that in front of the whole team CFVY, but not only were they letting her in their room, she also had heard something she didn’t think they told everyone. Fox, Yatsuhashi and Velvet were at least pretending to do something else, even if she could see the occasional glance thrown at her. She nodded lightly. “Blake is older than me and she’s sexier and smarter and I know I can’t compete with her in Weiss’ eyes.” Words escaped her mouth on their own when she started talking and she said more than she intended. “I’m jealous of Blake… I know it’s not her fault and I don’t hate her because she’s my friend but…”

“But it still hurts when you see them together.” At Ruby’s nod of agreement, Coco felt sorry for the younger girl. She knew how much her situation sucked and that she could only help her so much. “You don’t have to compete with anyone. If—When someone falls in love with you, it will be for you, not because you’re better than some other girl. For Weiss… I’d like to say she will come around and fall in love with you but… well, I don’t really know her but she seemed to get along with Blake really well.” Seeing Ruby’s face as she said that almost made Coco regret saying it, but she had to realize that getting with Weiss was probably not going to happen and start moving in. The sooner she accepted that, the better it would be.

Ruby had to hold back the tears she felt coming at her friend’s words. “It hurts, b—but it has to be done, right? It’s hard.” 

“It is. It will take time, and there will times when you will see them together and it will be even harder, but with time it will get better and you’ll be able to spend time with your friends and have fun without feeling so bad.” Or things could go badly and their friendship could be irreparably broken. But Ruby needed support right now and Coco doubted that talking about that possibility would help.

Ruby stayed silent for a moment, thinking about how to approach things with her team as Zwei was laying against her feet. Coco left her to her thoughts, sneezing once more as her nose and her eyes were getting itchier by the minute. Yatsu had been pushing for a full cleaning of the room before classes started again and, while initially reluctant, Coco was going to have to agree with him if she wanted to be able to sleep in her room again.

“What about Yang?” Ruby’s voice interrupted Coco’s train of thought, redirecting her attention on the girl next to her. “She knew I lo— how I felt about Weiss and she knew they were getting together but she didn’t say anything.”

Coco sighed and played with her hair to give herself some time. She wasn’t sure why Yang hadn’t said anything. “I think it would be best to ask her directly. I’m sure she had a good reason.” She didn’t know Yang or the situation enough to guess what had happened.

“Maybe…” Ruby would have to clear that up with her sister, but not today. “Can I… can I stay the night?” She didn’t want to go back to her room and see Weiss and Blake right now.  
“Sure, you can use my bed and I’ll share with Velvet.”

“Oh, then you can use mine so you won’t be too cramped.”

Coco was about to reply that that wouldn’t be a problem when a strong sneeze reminded her of the dog’s presence. She didn’t have the heart to ask Ruby to send him back, and it wouldn’t do much depending on how much hair he had left in the room anyway, so sleeping outside would probably be for the best. Not that imposing on the rest of team RWBY was something she wanted to do, but she would find someplace else. She gathered a few things, kissed Velvet, said good night to her team and left, relived to be away from the dog.

* * *

“So Ruby and Zwei are spending the night in your room and you didn’t want her to send him back so you hid your allergies and left? But she’s fine, right?”

Coco had told the rest of team RWBY what had happened with their leader, omitting some of the details that they didn’t need to know, and Yang had been happy to hear some news about her sister.

“Yup. She says she’s sorry but she needs some time.” Coco looked at the time on her scroll and stood up. “I’m not going to bother you any longer.” She started moving toward the door when she was interrupted by Weiss.

“Wait. Ruby said you could use her bed so you can spend the night here. You’re not bothering us.”

“The ice queen is ri— eep.” Yang couldn’t stop the sound that escaped her mouth as Blake struck her in the ribs. Weiss didn’t like the nickname but would never show Yang how much it affected her. Blake knew and it didn’t feel right to let her continue. “Weiss is right, you helped our leader, my sister, we’re not kicking you out.” She threw a questioning look at her friend, wondering why she had interrupted her.

Seeing Blake nodding in agreement with her friends, Coco felt relief wash over her. She hadn’t been sure where she would have slept as most people still weren’t back at Beacon and not having to get a hotel room would save her a lot of trouble. “Thank you.” Her smile faltered as her eyes wandered in the room and she remembered which bed was Ruby’s. She approached it and pushed it, making it swing lightly. “Is this really safe?”

It was Yang who answered her. “We’re not sure, that’s why we put Weiss under it.”

“Hey.” Weiss tried to smack Yang’s head but the blond avoided it, expecting her reaction.

Blake rolled her eyes at her friends’ antics, but the small smile indicated she enjoyed hearing their friendly squabble. “I can lend you my bed if you want. Yang doesn’t move too much in her sleep and the books are holding up.”

A mischievous smile stretched Coco’s lips. “But then you'd have to sleep with one of your teammates, all bunched up in those small beds. I wouldn't want to impose that upon you.”

Blake blushed slightly but her smile grew closer to that of a cat that had found a new toy. “It’s no problem really, I’ll be very comfortable.”

Yang had finally been hit by Weiss and decided that teasing the couple a little would make some nice payback. “Just try not to be too loud when you have fun. It might be hard for Weiss but—”

“What?” Weiss, interrupted Yang, hoping she had misinterpreted her words. She knew she could be a little… vocal when she wasn’t paying attention because her room had been very well isolated, but she had always been very careful when at Beacon…

Coco had a feeling it would be better if she wasn’t there for the next part. She pointed at the bathroom and quickly went to lock herself in when Blake nodded. She knew well how team arguments went and that it would be better with no one else around.

“You just have a very lovely and powerful voice, that’s all.” Yang smile hadn’t faltered.

“Oh… thanks.” Of course, Yang didn’t mean anything by—

“I also heard you masturbating in the shower.” Her smile was now as bright as the sun, happy that Weiss hadn’t seen it coming.

Weiss was about to scream when she felt Blake’s hand in hers. It made her pause and wonder why she was angry. Yang had heard her at a time she thought she was alone, but she hadn’t interrupted and embarrassed her at the time, and she wasn’t making fun of her for doing it, just teasing her for being a little loud. She hadn’t brought it up in public or in front of people she didn’t like, but between friends. Blake… had probably heard her last night now that she thought about it and they were dating anyway, she would learn a lot more about her than that. She was with her friends, not among those people that only cared about the prestige of ‘defrosting’ the ice queen and made fun of her in the hope she would take part in the festivities.

Not that she liked that Yang had done that and she wouldn’t let her get away with it. “You could have a little more class than mentioning it like that.” She didn’t have to try hard to sound offended, even if she was probably overdoing it a little.

“Especially with Coco in the room.” Blake felt like she was twisting the knife seeing the guilt on Yang’s face, but she had to make her understand. She didn’t want to be stuck between her girlfriend and her best friend if a fight broke out.

Yang was uncharacteristically downcast, her smile now completely absent. This evening hadn’t been kind to her, first with Ruby, looking at her like she had kicked a puppy, and now Weiss and Blake were getting angry with her. Hopefully the next day would be better. She forced herself to smile. It was better like that. “You’re right, I went a little far. It’s just…” She took a breath. Coming clean to Weiss now was the best option. “Weiss, I like Blake a lot, she’s my best friend, but I have no intention of trying to keep her for myself or steal her from you. It’s just the way I am with my friends and I wanted to try and include you, but I’m not sure how to act with you.”

Weiss looked at Yang like she had grown a second head. “Do you really think I see you like that? You have no tact, no respect for people’s privacy and you are way too loud sometimes. But I never thought you were seriously flirting with my girlfriend. And honestly, you really think you stand a chance against me?”

The way Weiss was looking down on her while being shorter had always impressed Yang, and her wearing only her nightgown somehow didn’t take away from the effect, but she wasn’t going to let her do has she pleased. Her smile grew and turned cocky as she puffed out her chest “Please princess, there’s no way you can beat these babies.”

Weiss wanted to retort, but she could stop herself from laughing. “Seriously? You’re going with that?”

Yang joined her and laughed as well. “You weren’t any better, you sounded like a cartoon villain.”

Blake was glad to see the two getting along. She would be lying if she said she had never thought things could get ugly between the two. Having to choose between Weiss or Yang would be awful.

“By the way, it was a complete accident I heard you, I didn’t mean to.” Yang was still a little red from laughing but she didn’t want to leave that question unanswered.

Someone knocked on the door and Blake went to open it. She saw a blond man with a big smile that looked a lot like Yang’s. “Hello, I’m Taiyang Xiao Long. Are Ruby and Yang here?”

“Yang, it’s for you.”

Yang came to the door to see who wanted to see her at this hour, Weiss following not far behind but trying to stay behind her teammates, not wanting to be seen in her pajamas by someone she didn’t know.

Yang saw who was at the door and froze up. “I have never seen this man in my life.”

“What? Come on Yang.” The man was still smiling, but tiredness could be seen in his eyes.

“Pft, you can’t even take a little joke? You’re getting old.” Yang moved out of the door and invited him to enter. “Girls, this is my father. Dad, meet Weiss and Blake, my teammates.”

“Hi, I’m Taiyang. It’s nice to meet you, my daughters told me a lot about you two.”

The two girls nodded, unsure of how to answer otherwise. Neither of them had a lot of experience with their own father being so laid-back.

“Did you finish with Ozpin?” Yang wasn’t happy that her time with her dad had been cut short by a mission from the headmaster, but she knew it was important.

“Yeah, I’m spending the night in Vale and heading out for the mission tomorrow. I knew you wanted to spend more time together, but—” Taiyang put a hand on Yang’s shoulder. He didn’t like having to put work before his family, but at least they were old enough to understand now.

“Don’t worry, I understand.” Yang held her father’s hand for a few second before continuing with a playful smile. “You could spend the night here with us.”

He laughed. “A grown man spending the night in the same room as three pretty young girls? Are you trying to get me arrested?”

Coco choose that moment to get out of the shower. She was wearing a brown tank top adorned with a stylized stitched heart and a pair of dark brown shorts, similar to Yang’s own pajamas except for the colors. The top was one of Velvet’s and was a little small for her, showing an impressive bite scar on her stomach. Surprisingly, she still had her sunglasses on.

Blake and Yang looked at the scar for a second before looking elsewhere, not wanting to be rude, but Weiss couldn’t stop staring. Taiyang, having seen a lot of injured huntsmen, didn’t even stop to look at it. “You… are not my daughter. Is Ruby not here?”

His question wasn’t directed at any one in particular, but Coco was the one that answered. “I’m Coco Adel, leader of team CFVY. We’re swapping leaders as a team building exercise. Ruby gets to see how a second-year team operate and I see how her team works to give her some advices on how to be a better leader.”

A team building exercise in the middle of vacations while Ruby and Yang only learned they were coming back the day before? These kids were really underestimating him. Not that team STRQ hadn’t done worse back in the days, so he wouldn’t say anything. He trusted Yang wouldn’t have stayed silent had Ruby been in danger. “Well, I’ll leave you girls to your ‘team building exercise’. Say hi to Ruby for me.” He gave a quick kiss to Yang and waved the other girls before leaving the room.

Blake saw that Weiss was still looking at Coco’s scar. “Weiss, you’re staring.”

“What?” A blush crept to her cheeks at having been caught doing something like that. “I was just thinking about what Velvet told us, not…”

“Not about how ugly it is?” Coco grinned seeing Weiss blushing. “If there’s someone I don’t mind looking, it’s you. You probably didn’t have it easy either.” She pointed her finger at her left eye, at the place Weiss’ scar was.

The heiress brought a hand to her face to caress the mark that was there since her fight against the Arma Gigas. “I didn’t have a problem with it, but I got some pretty… mean comments.”

Coco remembered what the magazines had said when the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company had appeared in public with a scar for the first time and felt a lot of sympathy for the younger girl. “I guess I’m lucky it’s easy to hide, most people don’t know.”

“How…?”

“How did I get it?” Coco didn’t like telling the story, but maybe it would help them avoid making the same mistake. “A mission isn’t over until you’re all safe back home. Don’t forget that, because I did.” She caressed the wounded flesh of her belly, the marks now familiar. “We had just finished a pretty hard mission and were moving toward the rendezvous point when a Grimm sneaked up on us. We were all exhausted after the mission and too happy to be going home to bother keeping our Auras up. The Grimm… It was weird, one moment I’m joking with Fox and the next I’m being dragged away from my team as I felt the fangs sink into…” Her fist clenched hard as she remembered the pain that came with the injury. Even now, she wasn’t completely free of the feeling of the fangs piercing her skin, the strong jaws grabbing and shaking her like a doll. “Well, you get the idea. My team obliterated the Grimm and managed to keep me alive until we reached Beacon.” The only thing Coco remembered from the return trip was Vel, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face, telling her again and again that it would be alright, that she would get help, that she wasn’t leaving and that she better fucking survives or she wouldn’t forgive her. “Good thing the staff at Beacon is really good and that I had my Aura, a civilian wouldn’t have recovered as quickly and completely as I did. Moral of the story, don’t drop your guard until you’re back home.”

There was a silence as the three younger girls absorbed what they just heard. They knew that being huntresses was dangerous, but hearing stories and seeing the consequences were two different things.

Yang was the one that broke the silence. “I’m… going to take a shower.” She grabbed her pajamas and locked the door to the bathroom behind her. Coco’s words had reminded her of the time she and Ruby got attacked by Grimm and had to be saved by Qrow. She couldn’t afford to be careless, and the story had confirmed that even more. A hot shower would help her clear her mind, she didn’t want to keep thinking about that the entire evening.

Now that Yang wasn’t there, Weiss could ask the question that had been on her mind since she had seen Coco’s scar. “I remember Velvet telling us what she thought about scars, how they were a show of strength, that you survived and were stronger for it…”

Coco laughed at the familiar words. “Yeah, I got the same speech at the time. She was there for me when I healed and helped me learn to live with the scar. She has a way of making a girl feel beautiful, especially with her pictures.” Her gazed wandered over to Weiss’ face and stopped on the line over her left eye. “You know, I think you might be stronger than me. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to wear a bikini again, yet you don’t even try to hide the scar when it’s in plain view.” She had to admit to herself that she was a little jealous of the confidence of the heiress. The first time she had shown the healed wound to someone, she had almost broken down in tears imagining the expression disgust she was sure was coming. Thankfully, Velvet had been there for her, again, and Fox and Yatsu had been supportive as well, making it easier for Coco, who had always loved being pretty, to accept that she would have to live with the reminder of her mistake for the rest of her life.

Weiss appreciated the compliment, but her expression stayed a little melancholic. “If I pay too much attention to what people think about me… I probably wouldn’t be able to leave my room.” She felt Blake’s arms wrap around her. Having someone to rely on when she didn’t feel good was nice. “Let’s not get all depressed now, we have snacks.” She took the bags she had brought back after training and gave them to Coco, grabbing a chocolate bar for herself. She knew what would happen if she thought too much about that, and she didn’t want to have one of those days, not so quickly after she and Blake got together. “How are things going between you and Velvet?”

The older girl took a few things from the bag and passed it to Blake. “It’s… it’s going fine. What we talked about the last time... It’s not easy, and that’s something that’ll come back in the future, but it was necessary.” Velvet had understood Coco’s feelings and promised to stop sleeping with other people for now, on the condition that they talked about it again later. As much as she loved Coco, she couldn’t just ignore that part of her. For her part, Coco knew that keeping Velvet only to herself was impossible and that a compromise would have to be reached later, but she was enjoying being able to spend more time with her girlfriend while she could. Speaking of making Velvet happy, Coco just had an idea she was sure she would like. “We should go on a double date sometime. I’m sure the four of us would be quite the sight.”

Weiss and Blake both nodded. They wanted to have their first date be just the two of them, but a night out with Coco and Velvet sounded nice.

“By the way, I hope Velvet hasn’t been too pushy with you two? I know she can get a little… overenthusiastic when she has a chance to play matchmaker.” Coco’s worry was mostly hidden by her sunglasses, but since Velvet had a tendency to see more attraction between people than there was, some of the couples she had played matchmaker for had crashed and burned pretty quickly.

“I don’t think so. She’s been helpful but nothing too overwhelming.” Blake thought about all the times Velvet had tried to get her in front of the camera and couldn’t think of anything that came close to it when it came to her and Weiss.

The heiress thought for a little longer and something came to her mind. “Do you remember the time you accidentally kissed me? Wasn’t Velvet just behind you?”

Coco sighed. “That does sound like her. At least she didn’t lock you two in a closet.” She saw the look of surprise the other girls threw at her but wasn’t in the mood to explain. “Well, all’s well that ends well, you two go well together.”

Weiss and Blake blushed a little and got closer to each other. No matter what they said, people disapproving of them had been on their minds and knowing that their friends didn’t was always nice. Blake was suddenly a lot more aware that Weiss wasn’t wearing anything more than her nightgown, making her want to change in her own pajamas. She had originally planned to take her shower the next morning, having already taken one after training, but since she was sleeping in the same bed as Weiss, she had changed her mind. She was a little worried about how she smelled, the meeting with Winter had been a little stressful and while she didn’t think she smelled like sweat, she didn’t want to take a chance. She then remembered how long it took Yang to take care of her hair, and the heated arguments about her occupying the bathroom for too long that they all had in the first weeks. Blake hoped she would get to shower before morning came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Imouto for helping me correct this chapter. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone supporting this story by reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.
> 
> If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed. 
> 
> Have a nice day and until next time.


	23. Announcement

Hello everyone.

I know most people have seen the notification and are hoping for a new chapter, but this is not what it is. I was waiting for the end of Volume 5 to come back to this story but, even though I still love the show, the motivation this write about it isn’t there, as well as the time.

I’m not saying I won’t ever come back to this story, but there won’t be a new chapter anytime soon.

I feel bad ending it like this, but I think it’s better for me to make it official like this, to be able to keep moving on and not stay stuck on a story I can’t write.

Thanks to everyone that has supported this story, every comment and feedback. I hope you enjoyed the 22 chapters of this story and I apologize for not seeing it to completion.


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